hen it comes to Internet of Things, connectivity to the internet is the primary area of focus. The sensors on the IoT devices, wearables and electronic devices need to get connected easily – preferably wirelessly. IoT LPWA market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 90 percent. It is expected that in 2021 the market size of about EUR 24.5 billion.
I earlier wrote about Sigfox LPWA system. It was pretty simple story. Now it is time to take a look at the competing technology LoRa. It is a more complicated, and maybe more interesting story.
LoRaWAN tries to bridges the gap between WLAN and cellular networks while allowing low power operations (sensors can work years with batteries). LoRaWAN is a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) and allows for Internet of Things connectivity making way for secure bidirectional communication. LoRa offers good .
LoRAWAN and LoRa radio
LoRa system consists of two parts: LoRaWAN media access control and LoRa physical layer technology.
LoRaWAN is a media access control (MAC) layer protocol designed for large-scale public networks with a single operator. It is built using Semtech’s LoRa modulation scheme. LoRaWAN as a protocol is strictly for wide-area networks.
LoRa as a lower-level physical layer technology (PHY) can be used in all sorts of applications outside of wide area. No, you do not need a gateway for applications that don’t need to connect to Internet. You can easily implement simple protocols using LoRa, either with modules or with the chips themselves.
There are two options to use this type of radio technology: LoRa and LoRaWAN
- LoRa contains only the link layer protocol and is perfect to be used in P2P communications between nodes in the 868 and 900MHz bands. LoRa modules are a little cheaper that the LoRaWAN ones. For details Go to the LoRa Tutorial.
- LoRaWAN includes the network layer too so it is possible to send the information to any Base Station already connected to a Cloud platform. LoRaWAN modules may work in the 868/900/433MHz bands. For more details Go to the LoRaWAN Tutorial.
LoRa radio details
LoRa communications systems for IoT consists of LoRa (a chirped modulation format) and LoRaWAN (a MAC-layer protocol) . LoRa is a spread-spectrum technology that uses quite wide band (usually 125 kHz or more). Its frequency-modulated chirp utilizes coding gain for increased receiver sensitivity.
The great performance of LoRa in 3 features (good sensitivity, low path loss, good obstacle penetration) makes LoRa a disruptive technology enabling really long range links. Because LoRa receiver looks at quite wide amount of spectrum (so receiver gets much more noise than narrowband systems like SigFox), it needs to elevate noise due to a larger receiver bandwidth is mitigated by the coding gains. Practical link budgets are about the same for SigFox and LoRaWAN. For example Semtech SX1272 LoRa transceiver IC promises 157 dB maximum link budget. With more realistic sensitivity of -134 dBm and +14 dBm we get 148 dB link budget, that should be able to provide more than 22km (13.6 miles) in LOS links and up to 2km (1.2miles) in NLOS links in urban environment (going through buildings).
LoRaWAN data rates range from 0.3 kbps to 50 kbps (some chips can offer bit rate up to 300 kbps). To maximize both battery life of the end-devices and overall network capacity, the LoRaWAN network server is managing the data rate and RF output for each end-device individually by means of an adaptive data rate (ADR) scheme.
. The Semtech basestation architecture is designed to operate only at 850 MHz to 1 GHz. Most typically LoRa is used in 868 MHz (Europe) and 915 MHz (USA) unlicensed frequency bands. LoRaWAN modules may work in the 868/900/433MHz bands.
In radio communications at license free there are limits on transmitter duty cycles. In Europe, 863 to 870 MHz band has been allocated for license-free operation with transmission duty cycle of 0.1%, 1% or 10% (or other control means like LBT and AFA). At 868 MHz the duty cycle is 1%. For other regions, quite similar limitations apply.
There are also other recommendations, for example TTN Fair Access Policy limits the data each end-device can send, by allowing: An average of 30 seconds uplink time on air, per day, per device. At most 10 downlink messages per day. A good goal is to keep the application payload under 12 bytes, and the interval between messages at least several minutes (application packet size can vary between 51 bytes for the slowest data rate, and 222 bytes for faster rates).
LoRa has so far relied on unlicensed spectrum to provide connectivity for sensors used in smart meters, asset-tracking devices and other “Internet of Things” (IoT) networks, but it is also heading to licensed frequencies as well?. Mobile operators that have made investments in LoRa networks are now looking at using licensed spectrum to support the technology. Running the technology over licensed spectrum could help operators overcome one of the main drawbacks of the technology — the interference and congestion that can occur in unlicensed airwaves.“The only benefit carriers have is that they can guarantee quality of service because it’s a licensed band,” said the mystery mouthpiece. Going to other than ISM bands should not be a big problem, because for example The SX1272 LoRa transceiver covers a frequency range of 860 to 1,020 MHz and SX1276 transceiver spans a frequency range from 137 to 1,020 MHz.
LoRaWAN details
LoRaWAN includes the network layer too so it is possible to send the information to any Base Station already connected to a Cloud platform. LoRaWAN was designed for the centralized architecture of telecom operators.
LoRaWAN network architecture is typically laid out in a star-of-stars topology in which gateways is a transparent bridge relaying messages between end-devices and a central network server in the backend. Gateways are connected to the network server via standard IP connections while end-devices use single-hop wireless communication to one or many gateways. All end-point communication is generally bi-directional, but also supports operation such as multicast enabling software upgrade over the air or other mass distribution messages to reduce the on air communication time. For some more details, read Go to the LoRaWAN Tutorial.
In LoRa system both the endpoint and the basestation are relatively inexpensive. This is primarily because you can use the same radio for a receiver on the basestation and at the endpoint. Typically LoRaWAN basestation tends to be more expensive than the endpoint.
Advantages and disadvantages of LoRaWAN
Following are the advantages of LoRaWAN:
➨It uses 868 MHz/ 915 MHz ISM bands which is available world wide.
➨It has very wide coverage range about 5 km in urban areas and 15 km in suburban areas.
➨It consumes very little power and hence battery will last for long duration.
➨Single LoRa Gateway device is designed to take care of 1000s of end devices or nodes.
➨It is easy to deploy due to its simple architecture
➨It uses Adaptive Data Rate technique to vary output data rate/Rf output of end devices. The data rate can be varied from 0.3 kbps to 27 Kbps for 125 KHz bandwidth.
➨The physical layer uses robust CSS modulation (Chirp Spread Spectrum). It uses 6 SF (spreading factors) from SF 7 to 12. This delivers orthogonal transmissions at different data rates. Moreover it provides processing gain. LoRa modulation has constant envelope modulation similar to FSK modulation (easy for PA design)
➨LoRaWAN supports three different types of devices viz. class-A, class-B and class-C.
Following are the disadvantages of LoRaWAN:
➨It can be used for applications requiring low data rate i.e. upto about 27 Kbps.
➨LoRaWAN network size is limited based on parameter called as duty cycle. This parameter arises from the regulation as key limiting factor for traffic served in the LoRaWAN network.
➨It is not ideal candidate to be used for real time applications requiring lower latency and bounded jitter requirements.
Security is important. National wide networks targeting internet of things such as critical infrastructure, confidential personal data or critical functions for the society has a special need for secure communication. This has been solved in LoRaWAN system by several layer of encryption as detailed in this picture from LoRa Alliance.
The security model uses several keys: Unique Network key (EUI64) and ensure security on network level, Unique Application key (EUI64) ensure end to end security on application level and Device specific key (EUI128). Some discussion on LoRaWAN security can be found at Security of an IoT network using AES (LoRaWAN) web page:MIC (Message Integrity Code) for each message and the end-to-end (application to application) ciphering of the payload both use AES 128 bits key.
Pictures of some LoRa products
Here is LoRa dev board by Espotel.
Here is Jaakko Ala-Paavola from Espotel showing LoRa demo that uses their LoRa dev board and commercial LoRa gateway (also uses Node-RED to implement control logic).
The Things Network
The Things Network is a global, crowdsourced, open, free and decentralized internet of things network. The Things Network (TTN) comprises a number of internet connected LoRaWAN gateways deployed by enthusiastic supporters in a growing number of areas around the world.
Because the costs of LoRa technology are very low, the idea is that we do not have to rely on large telco corporations to build such a network. For example the city of Amsterdam was covered with only 10 gateways at the cost of 1200 dollars each – a single Gateway can serve thousands of devices. If you don’t already have local coverage, then you can deploy your own gateway and connect it to TTN. While gateways are expensive at around $500 each, many local funding opportunities exist.
Although the goal of The Things Network is to support for any protocol that can be useful for the community, the focus is currently on LoRaWAN. LoRaWAN is perfect for the Internet of Things as it is low battery, long range, and low bandwidth.
The Things Network is about enabling low power Devices to use long range Gateways to connect to an open-source, decentralized Network to exchange data with Applications and Platforms.
Gateways form the bridge between devices and The Things Network. Devices use low power networks like LoRaWAN to connect to the Gateway, while the Gateway uses high bandwidth networks like WiFi, Ethernet or Cellular to connect to The Things Network. All Gateways within reach of a device will receive its messages and forward them to The Things Network.
The network will deduplicate the messages. The Backend handles the received data.The aim is make the different backend components as decoupled as possible, so there is a clear separation of the responsibilities of each component. The Things Network’s different routing service components:
Gateway, Router, Broker, NetworkServer, Handler and Application
LoRaWAN is a “network-intensive” protocol, intensive in the sense that due to the simple and minimalistic approach for devices, the backend systems are responsible for most of the logic. Firstly, there are some Gateway-related functions such as scheduling and managing the utilization of the gateways. Scheduling is needed because a gateway can only do one transmission at the same time. The utilization information is used to evenly distribute load over different gateways and to be compliant with the European duty cycles. Another important feature is monitoring the status of each gateway. We also need device-related functions that manage the state of devices in the network: Addressing is such that device address are non-unique, so the network has to keep track of which addresses are used by which devices in order to map a message to the correct device and application). Other things the network must keep track of are the security keys and frame counters. The Handlers need to know how to interpret binary data, and bridge to higher-layer protocols, such as AMQP and MQTT. As The Things Network will be a distributed network, there has to be functionality that supports this distribution.
The default Handler implementation simply publishes a JSON representation of uplink messages to a topic <app_eui>/devices/<dev_eui>/up on an MQTT broker. This allows applications to simply subscribe to the same MQTT topic and process the data in any way.
EXAMPLE: From the following message, the application could for example see that the temperature measured by device 001122334455667788 was 12.86 degrees:
Topic: 0102030405060708/devices/001122334455667788/up
{ payload: 'BQY=',
fields:{temperature: 12.86 },
port: 14,
counter: 1234,
metadata:
[ { frequency: 868.1,
datarate: 'SF7BW125',
codingrate: '4/5',
...
longitude: 6.55738,
latitude: 53.18977 } ] }The public community network will probably stick with this API and format, but this behaviour can be easily adapted to other use cases. After publishing the uplink message to MQTT, the Handler will determine whether it is necessary to reply to the device with a downlink message.
In an open network with many different end-devices (nodes), which are not connected but just start sending when they need to (ALOHA-like protocol), and all have a different data need and connection quality, there are many limiting factors to keep things working.
The data rate and maximum packet size roughly depend on the distance to the nearest gateway and the type of data to be sent. For the European 863-870MHz band, the application packet size varies between 51 bytes for the slowest data rate, and 222 bytes for faster rates (LoRaWAN protocol adds at least 13 bytes to the application payload). When an end-device is far away from a gateway, it needs to use a low data rate to ensure at least one gateway receives its data. But a lower data rate implies a longer air time for each byte. For the European EU 863-870MHz ISM Band limits the duty cycle to 1% for data. For other regions, quite similar limitations apply. For 1000 nodes per gateway and dutu cycle limitations, we end up approximately 30 seconds per node per day. With this Fair Access Policy for 10 bytes of payload, this translates in (approx.): 20 messages per day at SF12 or 500 messages per day at SF7.
By default, gateways transmit with maximum allowed TX power (14 for EU-868). Every device has the same transmit duty cycle, gateways are no exception, so gateway must have less than 1% transmit duty cycle.
APIs
IoT device end: Semtech SX1272 LoRa transceiver IC provides SPI interface to communicate with it. RN2483LoRa module from Microchip connects over a serial interface.
The Things Network backend: The default Handler implementation simply publishes a JSON representation of uplink messages to a topic <app_eui>/devices/<dev_eui>/up on an MQTT broker. This allows applications to simply subscribe to the same MQTT topic and process the data in any way.
381 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cricket LoRa/LoRaWAN/GNSS Asset Tracker
https://www.tindie.com/products/TleraCorp/cricket-loralorawangnss-asset-tracker/?utm_source=hackaday&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=fromstore
Scratch and Dent—Low-power LoRaWAN-enabled asset location tracker
Scratch and Dent Sale! While waiting for the next production batch I have a limited supply of fully functional but cosmetically damaged Cricket Asset Trackers at discount. These have scratches or dents in the stainless steel CMWX1ZZABZ RF shield but are otherwise guaranteed to work the same as unmarred Cricket Asset Trackers. Stock up while they last!
Now supporting LoRa radio, FSK radio, and LoRaWAN!
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Mini Helical Antennas From Salvaged Co-ax Cable
https://hackaday.com/2018/11/19/diy-mini-helical-antennas-from-salvaged-co-ax-cable/
[Mare] has a visual guide and simple instructions for making DIY mini helical 868 MHz antennas for LoRa applications. 868 MHz is a license-free band in Europe, and this method yields a perfectly serviceable antenna that’s useful where space is constrained.
The process is simple and well-documented, but as usual with antenna design it requires attention to detail. Wire for the antenna is silver-plated copper, salvaged from the core of RG214U coaxial cable.
Small “rubber-ducky” helical antenna for 868MHz
http://e.pavlin.si/2018/06/29/small-normal-mode-antenna-for-868mhz/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino PRO Gateway for LoRa now available for pre-order
https://blog.arduino.cc/2018/11/14/arduino-pro-gateway-for-lora-now-available-for-pre-order/
We are very happy to announce the Arduino PRO Gateway for LoRa!
Combined with Arduino MKR WAN 1300 IoT nodes, it makes an ideal solution for a wide range of applications, like smart agriculture, smart cities and building automation – and many other remote monitoring use cases requiring long range, low power wireless connectivity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“It seems clear that, at least right at the moment, the Raspberry Pi is finding yet another niche as the board that most people seem to be using to host their gateways.”
A Coming of Age for LoRaWAN?
https://blog.hackster.io/a-coming-of-age-for-lorawan-7510f4551a9b
New hardware, and a lot of parallels to the original Internet?
Only a few years have past since the cost of a LoRaWAN base station was of the order of several thousand dollars.
since the campaign, The Things Network has become a major player in the LoRa landscape, and this year especially, has been their year.
So with the LoRa hardware market now maturing, with some even suggesting that LoRa has taken an admittedly still shaky lead in the standards wars, the announcement of the new Arduino Pro Gateway for LoRa at electronica 2018
Tomi Engdahl says:
Somewhat intriguingly however, the Arduino Pro Gateway for LoRa is a departure for Arduino. Because the gateway isn’t an Arduino at all. Instead, it’s a Raspberry Pi.
Based around an Embit EMB-LR1301 mini-PCI Express module using the Semtech SX1301 chipset, Arduino’s gateway is actually a Raspberry Pi HAT hosted by a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
https://blog.hackster.io/a-coming-of-age-for-lorawan-7510f4551a9b
Tomi Engdahl says:
Solar-Powered IoT Sensor Saves Wine Batch From Overheating
https://hackaday.com/2018/11/25/solar-powered-iot-sensor-saves-wine-batch-from-overheating/
Making wine isn’t just about following a recipe, it’s a chemical process that needs to be monitored and managed for best results. The larger the batch, the more painful it is to have something go wrong. This means that the stakes are high for small vineyards such as the family one [Mare] works with, which have insufficient resources to afford high-end equipment yet have the same needs as larger winemakers. The most useful thing to monitor is the temperature profile of the fermentation process, and [Mare] created an exceptional IoT system to do that using LoRa wireless and solar power.
Preparing wine with IoT sensors
http://e.pavlin.si/2018/09/17/preparing-wine-with-iot-sensors/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lora board with Arduino nano compatibile pinout and simple battery management
https://github.com/s54mtb/LoRaDunchy
Tomi Engdahl says:
A New Ultra-Low Power LoRa SiP From Microchip
https://blog.hackster.io/a-new-ultra-low-power-lora-sip-from-microchip-84057ea569b4
The LoRa protocol and technology was developed by a startup called Cycleo which was acquired by Semtech back in 2012. Despite the creation of the LoRa Alliance, there have always been questions as to how open the standard really was if Semtech was the sole provider of radio chips. That began to change as the technology was licensed to STMicro and Microchip in 2015, and the first chips that weren’t built by Semtech started to go into production.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MakeCode package LoRa – Beta , if you want to experience you need an arduino MKR1300
https://github.com/ElectronicCats/pxt-lora
Tomi Engdahl says:
Duino Field Gateway Clients © MIT
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/KiwiBryn/duino-field-gateway-clients-3986de
Sample Arduino Uno R3 & Seeeduino V4.2 clients for my Windows 10 IoT Core on RPI based LoRa field gateways.
Tomi Engdahl says:
RAK Wireless WisTrio LORA Tracker Gets a 96Boards IoT Edition Footprint
https://blog.hackster.io/rak-wireless-wistrio-lora-tracker-gets-a-96boards-iot-edition-footprint-c3e1aff5eea5
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/12/13/digita-ja-levira-lorawan-yhteistyohon/
Suomessa LoRaWan-verkkoja operoiva Digita aloittaa yhteistyön virolainen verkko-operaattori Leviran kanssa. Yritykset pystyvät näin tarjoamaan LoRaWAN-teknologiaan perustuvia IoT-ratkaisuja Suomenlahden molemmin puolin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRa + Neural Network Security System
https://hackaday.io/project/162667-lora-neural-network-security-system
Spot trespassers with a neural network and transmit basic results via LoRa
Tomi Engdahl says:
You Can Now Update Device Firmware Over LoRaWAN with Arm Mbed OS
https://blog.hackster.io/you-can-now-update-device-firmware-over-lorawan-with-arm-mbed-os-c4fb35eab49c
About three months ago, the LoRa Alliance formalised standards to allow firmware updates over the air on a LoRaWAN network. This was a massively important step for the emerging low-powered networking standard at a time when LoRa is taking an arguable, abet perhaps somewhat shaky, lead in the battles amongst the three main competing standards for domination of the low-power wireless space and the Internet of Things.
But, at least up until now, I hadn’t yet seen a demonstration of the new standards in action, which is where Jan Jongboom, the Developer Evangelist for Arm’s Mbed OS comes in. Because he’s just published demonstration code for firmware update via LoRaWAN for Arm’s Mbed 5.0 platform.
Firmware-updates enabled LoRaWAN example application
https://github.com/armmbed/mbed-os-example-lorawan-fuota
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8981-lora-rikkoi-100-operaattorin-rajan
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRa Surpasses 100 IoT Nets
Test programs aim to enhance ease of deployments
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334225
Claiming that the internet of things (IoT) is reaching a tipping point, the LoRa Alliance announced that it has more than 100 networks operating around the world. It plans to expand certification and testing programs this year to ease deployments, which it claims already cover millions of end nodes.
LoRa is one of a basketful of long-range, wide-area networks trying to get traction in IoT. It competes with OnRamp, Sigfox, Telensa, and others in unlicensed bands and with cellular Cat-M and Narrowband IoT networks from cellular carriers.
Wi-Fi vendors will roll out chips for the 802.11ah standard — aka HaLow — this year, increasing competition in the 900-MHz band. Practitioners say it’s still early days for IoT given that each deployment tends to require custom work defining a business case and designing a network for it.
Microcell gateways for LoRa can handle 7,000 to 10,000 nodes, about the same as a HaLow gateway. Lora’s picocells manage up to 3,000 nodes, but its macrocells can handle tens of thousands. LoRa claims range of several kilometers, typically further than HaLow.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Getting started with Arduino MKRWAN1300 & LoRaWan TTN
https://www.disk91.com/2018/technology/lora/getting-started-with-arduino-mkrwan1300-lorawan-ttn/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The New Adafruit LoRa Radio Bonnet
https://blog.hackster.io/the-new-adafruit-lora-radio-bonnet-834077422992
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRa Alliance to Expand Test Programs to Ease IoT Deployments
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/lora-alliance-to-expand-test-programs-to-ease-iot-deployments
Claiming that the internet of things is reaching a tipping point, the LoRa Alliance announced that it has more than 100 networks operating around the world. It plans to expand certification and testing programs this year to ease deployments, which it claims already cover millions of end nodes.
The Alliance aims to roll out a certified software stack and new pre-test options so that vendors can check their products before sending them to a testing house. It also aims to add RF and battery life tests and more regional parameters to its certification suite for modules. The group aims to demo over-the-air firmware updates at a meeting in February.
LoRa Surpasses 100 IoT Nets
Test programs aim to enhance ease of deployments
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334225
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRa Claims Another Milestone
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334256
The word “fragmented” is often used when people talk about the adoption of the internet of things (IoT), despite estimates of around 7 billion active IoT connections in 2018. That’s probably because of the proliferation of technologies and the lack of standardization and wider ecosystems to support them across multiple vendors.
As the various network technologies jostle for position, analog and mixed-signal semiconductor firm Semtech this week announced growth in demand for its LoRa devices with the cumulative deployment of approximately 80 million LoRa-enabled end nodes at the end of 2018, a 60% year-over-year increase. Semtech expects to ship hundreds of thousands of LoRa-based gateways, too, by early 2019.
Semtech’s disclosure comes hot on the heels of the recent LoRa Alliance announcement of 100 networks now operating around the world.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2019/02/05/microchip-vie-turvallisesti-lora-verkkoon/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cricket LoRa/LoRaWAN/GNSS Asset Tracker
https://www.tindie.com/products/TleraCorp/cricket-loralorawangnss-asset-tracker/?utm_source=hackaday&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=fromstore
Low-power LoRaWAN-enabled asset location tracker
New Crickets are here!
Now supporting LoRa radio, FSK radio, and LoRaWAN!
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRaWAN-Mini
https://github.com/LowPowerDesignLab/LoRaWAN-Mini
Low cost arduino compatible MCU board with RFM95 module for LoRaWAN application development.
A very simple board based on Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328p-3.3v-8MHz)
Bootloader same as Arduino Pro Mini
Tomi Engdahl says:
Putting M5Stack on LoRa and the Things Network
https://hackaday.com/2018/09/29/putting-m5stack-on-lora-and-the-things-network/
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRa’s Bid to Rule the Internet of Things
https://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/standards/loras-bid-to-rule-the-internet-of-things
“What makes LoRa interesting for us is you can have two approaches: Use a public network, or deploy your own network,” says Smeenk. For now, Sodaq is mainly selling its cattle trackers in Australia to ranches that lie beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks.
In January, the industry alliance behind LoRa declared that 100 network operators around the world were using its standard, putting it a smidge ahead of competing IoT standards, which have about 60 network implementations each. With LoRa service in place, companies have started using it to follow the movements of people with dementia, connect with pollution monitors, and track when recycling bins need to be changed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“LoRaWAN provides low-cost, low-power over unlicensed spectrum to billions of IoT devices.” says LoRa Alliance CEO at MWC19
https://iot.eetimes.com/lorawan-provides-low-cost-low-power-over-unlicensed-spectrum-to-billions-of-iot-devices-says-lora-alliance-ceo-at-mwc19/
LoRaWAN is the preferred choice for deploying a large number of non-critical sensors and control devices in large areas. Its use of unlicensed radio makes it the perfect choice for city-wide environmental sensors, streetlamp control and monitoring, basic control units for agricultural farms and monitoring of small objects.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Custom LoRa Pager Designed With Care
https://hackaday.com/2019/03/24/custom-lora-pager-designed-with-care/
LoRa is a useful technology if you need to send data a long way at low power levels. Leveraging this, [5Volt-Junkie] decided to build a small pager named the LoRaNicator.
LoRaNicator
https://hackaday.io/project/163604-loranicator
A wireless telecommunications device, based on LoRa technology, that receives and displays alphanumeric messages.
LoRaNicator is a pager devices based on LoRa technology.
- 128x64px monochrome LCD with build in ST7565R-G Controller
- ATSAMD21G18A-AU Cortex-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU (Arduino compatible)
- Extremely Accurate I2C RTC
- On-Board Single-Cell Li-Polymer Charge Management Controller
- Smart push-button on/off controller
- Micro SD-Card Slot
- RFM95W LoRa Transceiver (868MHz or 915MHz)
- 3-way Navigation Switch
- High-Efficient Buck-Boost Voltage Converter
- On-Board Coin Pager Motor
- On-Board Piezoelectric Sounder
- GPIO Header for External Periphery
- 2-Layer PCB
- Dimensions LxWxH (mm): 100x78x14 (without battery incl. SMA 8mm connector)
- Open Source Hardware
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tulokset internetistä
Security Vulnerabilities in LoRaWAN – Fernando Kuipers
PDFhttps://fernandokuipers.nl › IoTDI2018
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://fernandokuipers.nl/papers/IoTDI2018.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiUq67ov83hAhXpwsQBHVxhB1YQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0utr2iC4olPb1mjaIYMLth
Tomi Engdahl says:
A VoIP phone with LoRa support? That’s a perfect fit for contributing to TTN Mapper
The WiPhone Is Now on Kickstarter
A phone designed by hackers, for hackers.
https://blog.hackster.io/the-wiphone-is-now-on-kickstarter-b78e44a4c3dc
the ESP32-based Voice over IP (VoIP) phone
the phone, intended to be “…hackable, modular, cheap, and open,” is now live on Kickstarter.
Measuring 120 x 50 x 12 mm, and weighing in at just 80g, the WiPhone comes in two versions and colours.
The two models have a 700mAH battery, which is predicted to be good for eight hours of talk time, or one week of standby time. The phone has a 24-button silicon keypad
The basic software on the phone will handle your contacts and allows Voice over IP (VoIP) calling and text messaging. The WiPhone is not a cellphone, instead it is a VoIP phone that allows you to make calls over the Internet.
However, it is pretty easy to get a PSTN, a ‘real’ telephone number from a VoIP provider
WiPhone have put together walkthrough on creating a free SIP account
Built around the Espressif ESP32
4MB of PSRAM and 16MB of Flash memory, along with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, and an internal micro SD card slot. It uses a 2.4-inch screen, driving the 320×240 pixel display over SPI, and has a micro USB connector for charging, serial communication, and programming.
WiPhone is expandable through daughter boards
UART, SPI, I2C, PWM, ADC, and GPIO.
Example daughter boards, including a mega-battery pack, a LoRa board, an RGB array, and a board to turn the WiPhone into a radio-controlled car, have already been prototyped.
The phone is programmable in the Arduino development environment, or by building user applications with MicroPython.
standard WiPhone costs $89, plus $25 for worldwide shipping
…if you want a LoRa daughterboard, just add $30
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top LoRa Add-on Boards for SBCs
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334522&utm_content=bufferdb103&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simple, Self-Contained LoRa Repeater In About an Hour
https://hackaday.com/2019/05/02/simple-self-contained-lora-repeater-in-about-an-hour/
Despite LoRa’s long range, sometimes the transmissions of a device (like a balloon’s landed payload) cannot be received directly because it is too far away, or hidden behind buildings and geography. In these cases a useful solution is [Dave]’s self-contained LoRa repeater. The repeater hardware is simple, and [Dave] says that if one has the parts on hand, it can be built in about an hour.
The device simply re-transmits any telemetry packets it receives, and all that takes is an Arduino Mini Pro and a small LoRa module. A tiny DC-DC converter, battery, and battery charger rounds out the bill of materials to create a small and self-contained unit that can be raised up on a mast, flown on a kite, or carried by a drone.
LoRa Repeater
http://www.daveakerman.com/?p=2469
One of these can be made in about an hour if you’re handy with a soldering iron, using these parts:
Arduino Mini Pro
LoRa module
Small 3.7V LiPo battery
USB LiPo charger
LiPo –> 5V step-up converter
Tomi Engdahl says:
Everything You Need to Know about LoRa and the IoT
https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/everything-you-need-know-about-lora-and-iot/16320406960771?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=8627&elq_cid=876648
A guide to LoRa / LoRAWAN, the communications technology emerging as the leader among Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs) entering the IoT space.
We’re entering a world in which WiFi and Bluetooth may no longer be the best communication technologies for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The IoT is gaining more ground each year. Experts project there will be 75 billion connected devices by 2025.
To support this incredible demand for bandwidth, new players have entered the IoT arena. For many industries, including supply chain, agriculture, healthcare, energy, and urban planning, Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs) are a much better fit.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The 7 Best LoRaWAN Devices on the Market
https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/7-best-lorawan-devices-on-market?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=8627&elq_cid=876648
Whether you’re building a DIY project, or attempting to manufacture something for market, there are ready-made LoRaWAN gateway products to support your efforts
Many LoRaWAN gateway manufacturers are well known in the tech space. Whether you’re building a DIY project, or attempting to manufacture something for market, there are ready-made products to support your efforts. Cisco, Tektelic, Kerlink, Gemtek, The Things Network, Raspberry Pi, and Arduino all sell leading, well-reviewed LoRaWAN products. When in doubt, check the reviews, or just try everything.
LoRa and LoRaWAN devices have deployed in more than 100 countries. But it’s not easy to determine the best one. Generally speaking, there are uncertified and “LoRaWAN certified” products, the latter of which must undergo a certification process through the LoRa Alliance to prove full compatibility to the network protocol.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using LoRaWAN End Devices on The Things Network
https://www.hackster.io/nootropicdesign/using-lorawan-end-devices-on-the-things-network-206a86
Tomi Engdahl says:
TinyLoRa Brings a SAM R34 LoRa Development Board in an Adafruit Feather Form Factor
https://blog.hackster.io/tinylora-brings-a-sam-r34-lora-development-board-in-an-adafruit-feather-form-factor-f5bd601cf798
Tomi Engdahl says:
easySwitchBox Is an Arduino IDE-Compatible Long-Range LoRa Outlet
https://blog.hackster.io/easyswitchbox-is-an-arduino-ide-compatible-long-range-lora-outlet-978d17f43fdb
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoRaWAN® distance world record broken, twice. 766 km (476 miles) using 25mW transmission power
https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/article/lorawan-distance-world-record
After almost 2 years, the world record of 702 km (436 miles) has been broken. Not once but twice.
On Saturday the 13th of July 2019, 7 balloons of different sizes were launched from Alfamen (Zaragoza, Spain) carrying a total of 20 experiments from different people, from young talents to veteran makers. The balloons were tracked using The Things Network, plain LoRa® and by APRS and satellite using Spot.
using three directional 3D printed Moxon Antennas placed at 120º and a reaction wheel (a type of flywheel used primarily by spacecraft for altitude control) to stabilize the probe
LoRaWAN transmissions using high Spreading Factors can take up about a second.
Each antenna had its own transmitter. The first antenna was connected to an ESP32 microcontroller with an RFM95W LoRa module, the second with an ESP8266 and RFM95W, the last one with an ASME Lion SOM based on Atmel D21. The structure of the probe is 3D printed. It’s a modular design made in FreeCAD. (Source files can be found on GitHub).
The previous 702k record was beaten on several occasions during the flight
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.hackster.io/a-new-lorawan-distance-record-577c8bc11d7b
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.element14.com/community/community/project14/remote-monitoring-control-devices/blog/2019/07/17/lora-experimental-environmental-sensors-loraxes
Tomi Engdahl says:
LoFence Monitors Electric Fences Remotely Using LoRaWAN
https://blog.hackster.io/lofence-monitors-electric-fences-remotely-using-lorawan-624954fc6cc5
The Things Network is the world’s largest LoRaWAN network, and connects many individual devices together to eventually reach the internet through a gateway. To take advantage of that in order to keep livestock safe, LoFence is a device that monitors electric fences.
https://github.com/kiu/lofence/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adding LoRa Long Range Radio To Smartphones And Connected Devices
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/11/adding-lora-long-range-radio-to-smartphones-and-connected-devices/
Tomi Engdahl says:
GPS Mapper for The Things Network (TTN) – LoRaWAN
https://www.hackster.io/fablabeu/gps-mapper-for-the-things-network-ttn-lorawan-584ed7
Help mapping the signal strength of the TTN in your region with this tiny GPS mapper feeding the ttnmapper.org.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teenagers arrested over hacks to Met Police website
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-50014090
Two Scottish teenagers have been arrested over claims they hacked into the Metropolitan Police’s website and posted a series of bizarre messages.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Monitoring An Electric Fence With LoRaWAN
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/monitoring-an-electric-fence-with-lorawan/
Making sure that an electric fence which is keeping one’s cattle and sheep from wandering off is still working properly seems like a fairly daunting task, especially when this fence is quite a distance from one’s home so checking up on it is time-consuming. After a friend of [kiu] got called a few times by the police because some of the sheep had pulled a prison break, the obvious technological solution was to IoT-enable the fence with LoFence.
This solution is nothing if not elegant in its simplicity. For phoning home with status data, the system uses the Microchip RN2483 IC, which handles pretty much all aspects of LoRaWAN, so that one merely has to send data to its serial interface to transmit. Because this system uses The Things Network (TTN) there are no service costs due to the low data rates. This was the easy part, aside from having to add a LoRaWAN gateway to boost the signal in the area with the electric fence.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2019/10/06/building-a-cyberpunk-multi-touch-input-device/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/9951-lora-ja-wifi-voivat-toimia-yhdessa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Major Brands Join the LoRa Alliance® at Leadership Levels Confirming Continued Momentum for LoRaWAN® as the Global De Facto LPWAN Standard
https://lora-alliance.org/in-the-news/major-brands-join-lora-alliancer-leadership-levels-confirming-continued-momentum
Tomi Engdahl says:
Easy to make, easy to afford, easy to install. Build your own weatherproof gateway using a Raspberry Pi, a RAK2245 HAT, an IP67 enclosure, batteries, power converters, and some other basic components.
https://www.hackster.io/nikolai-manchev/a-diy-outdoor-lorawan-gateway-with-battery-backup-ae8712
Tomi Engdahl says:
Announcement: Launch of public LoRa Satellite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdj7fka4b_w
We build a 20 Dollars LoRa Satellite Ground Station and we follow the FossaSat-1 launch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k0aM-PJzo8
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s LoRa again? And why is that relevant in terms of monitoring?
https://blog.paessler.com/whats-lora-again
While 5G and NB-IoT are on everyone’s minds, networked things can alternatively be addressed via license-free frequency bands. LoRa – or LoRaWAN – provide a cost-effective approach. This article deals with the basic concept of LoRa and examines the question why LoRa, and LPWA technologies in general, are so relevant for the monitoring market.