433MHz TUI scanner: using a FT232H connected to a CC1101

This guide shows how to make a receive-only 433 MHz radio scanner using a CC1101 module connected directly to a laptop through a CJMCU-232H FT232H board. Unlike a basic USB-serial adapter, the FT232H can provide the SPI connection the radio needs, so the setup runs from Python without a microcontroller or firmware flashing. The guide lists the parts, scripts and Linux software, then explains the six-wire connection: power the CC1101 from 3.3 V, connect its SPI pins to the FT232H’s AD pins, and leave the unused pins disconnected. A prominent safety warning notes that 5 V can destroy the radio. The Python interface provides a frequency sweep and a fixed-frequency listening screen, with controls for tuning, zooming and saving or replaying captures.

The scanner checks that the radio is connected and configured, then displays signal strength as bars, peak markers and a waterfall. In tests, a sweep across the 433 MHz band took about 0.16 seconds; the noise floor was around −90 dBm, with several persistent signals and a strong burst when the test remote was pressed near 434 MHz. Listening and decoding captured all four buttons of a cheap copy remote, which repeatedly sends fixed 24-bit EV1527-style codes: a shared 20-bit ID and four button bits. The guide distinguishes this from the author’s gate remotes, which use KeeLoq encoding and are reserved for a later investigation. The rig is presented as a practical way to inspect and understand simple radio signals, not to transmit.