Troubleshooting

Overview

Common issues and solutions for Aegis-Beacon assembly and operation.

Radio Issues

SX1262 TX Init Failed

Symptom: [ERROR] SX1262 TX init FAILED: -2

Cause: SPI wiring or missing BUSY pin

Solution:

1. Check GPIO 18/19/23/5 connections
2. Verify BUSY pin (GPIO 21) is connected
3. Test SPI continuity with multimeter

Radio Hangs on First Call

Symptom: Device freezes after boot

Cause: BUSY pin not wired

Solution:

1. Wire BUSY to GPIO 21
2. Verify connection with continuity test
3. Re-flash firmware

Weak Signal / No Range

Symptom: Beacon not heard at expected distance

Cause: Antenna issue or low power

Solution:

1. Verify antenna length (17.3cm for 433 MHz)
2. Check SMA connection
3. Increase TX power in CONFIG portal
4. Test with SDR to verify transmission

Display Issues

OLED Blank

Symptom: No display output

Cause: Wrong SPI pins or soft-SPI conflict

Solution:

1. Verify GPIO 15/13/4/16/17 connections
2. Check 3.3V power to OLED
3. Test with simple sketch

OLED Flickering

Symptom: Display flickers or shows artifacts

Cause: SPI bus contention

Solution:

1. Ensure software SPI is used (not hardware)
2. Check for loose connections
3. Reduce SPI clock speed

GPS Issues

No GPS Fix After 2 Minutes

Symptom: GPS wait screen shows 0 satellites

Cause: Obstructed sky view or weak signal

Solution:

1. Move outdoors with clear sky view
2. Wait 5-15 minutes for cold start
3. Check GPIO 22/12 connections
4. Verify GPS module power

Wrong Coordinates

Symptom: Coordinates don’t match location

Cause: DDM format misread

Solution:

• N4553 = 45 53’ N, not 45.53
• E01230 = 12 30’ E, not 12.30
• Add decimal point at position 3

Battery Issues

Battery Reads 0% or 100% Stuck

Symptom: Battery percentage doesn’t change

Cause: Divider not connected or wrong GPIO

Solution:

1. Check R3a/R3b divider on GPIO 36
2. Verify BAT+ connection to TP4056
3. Adjust BAT_VREF_MV in config

Battery Drains Quickly

Symptom: Runtime much shorter than expected

Cause: High current draw or cold weather

Solution:

1. Check for WiFi/BT left enabled
2. Verify deep sleep is working
3. Monitor serial for sleep messages
4. Use LiFePO4 in cold weather

Audio Issues

No Audio Output

Symptom: No sound from earphone

Cause: Wrong pin or missing AC cap

Solution:

1. Verify GPIO 25 connection
2. Check 10uF cap orientation (+ to GPIO)
3. Test with 100 Ohm resistor to GND

Audio Too Quiet

Symptom: Very low volume

Cause: Volume setting too low

Solution:

1. Increase volume via UP/DN buttons
2. Check VOL/WPM toggle (SEL button)
3. Verify DAC1 configuration

Button Issues

Buttons Unresponsive

Symptom: No response to button presses

Cause: Missing pullup on input-only pins

Solution:

1. Add 10k pullup to GPIO 34/35
2. Verify button wiring to GND
3. Check for stuck buttons

Factory Reset Not Working

Symptom: MODE+SEL at boot doesn’t reset

Cause: Not holding long enough

Solution:

1. Hold both buttons for 5+ seconds
2. Release after OLED shows reset message
3. Device reboots with defaults

Software Issues

Upload Fails

Symptom: Failed to connect error

Cause: Wrong board or port selected

Solution:

1. Select “ESP32 Dev Module” board
2. Verify COM port in Device Manager
3. Press BOOT button during upload
4. Try different USB cable

NVS Empty Warning

Symptom: [WARN] NVS empty on boot

Cause: First boot or after factory reset

Solution:

• This is normal behavior
• Configure via CONFIG portal
• Settings save to NVS on first save

Performance Issues

Slow Display Updates

Symptom: OLED updates slowly

Cause: SPI clock too slow

Solution:

1. Verify software SPI connections
2. Check for bus contention
3. Reduce update frequency

High Power Consumption

Symptom: Battery drains faster than expected

Cause: WiFi/BT not disabled

Solution:

1. Verify WiFi/BT shutdown in beacon mode
2. Check serial for WiFi messages
3. Disable WiFi in CONFIG portal

Debug Output

Serial Monitor

Connect at 115200 baud for debug output:

[INFO ] Boot #1 reset_reason=1 heap=290244 B cpu=240MHz
[BAT  ] Boot battery: 87% 4100mV charging=NO
[OK   ] OLED ready -- SSD1309 128x64
[OK   ] SX1262 CW TX ready: 433.500 MHz @ 17 dBm

Common Debug Tags