Adafruit Feather 32u4 RFM96 LoRa 433 MHz

Overview

The Adafruit Feather 32u4 RFM96 LoRa 433 MHz is the 433 MHz variant of the LoRa Feather series. It pairs the ATmega32u4 at 8 MHz with HopeRF's RFM96W module based on the Semtech SX1278 LoRa chipset, targeting the 433 MHz ISM band prevalent in much of Asia, South America, and parts of Europe.

The lower 433 MHz frequency provides better RF propagation characteristics compared to 868/915 MHz — longer wavelengths penetrate buildings and terrain more effectively, which can extend range or improve reliability in obstructed environments. Like the 868/915 MHz variant, the RFM96W achieves over 2 km of range with quarter-wave wire antennas and supports transmit powers from +5 to +20 dBm.

The board includes all standard Feather features: 20 GPIO pins, 10 analog inputs, 7 PWM outputs, hardware SPI/I2C/UART, native USB, a u.FL antenna connector, and a 100mA LiPo charger. The RadioHead library and LMIC LoRaWAN stack work with this board, providing both raw LoRa packet communication and LoRaWAN support where 433 MHz LoRaWAN networks are available.

This board is the right choice for deployments in 433 MHz regions or for projects that benefit from the propagation advantages of the lower frequency band.