#where the first piece of hw given was GET A LIBRARY CARD

[transgenderboobs]

if u have a library card i Highly suggest checking to see if u can use it to access jstor. mine gives me full access to everything on there for freeeee ♥️

#loverboy wordz #throwback to my research class senior yr of college #where the first piece of hw given was GET A LIBRARY CARD #cuz all multco library card holders cn use jstor to their hearts desire :^) #even our university didnt give us full access but the library? the library does so much

[iotagger]

Hardware solutions for Eclipse IOT Challenge: Exploring LoRa/LoRaWAN

The Eclipse IOT challenge lead me to research more in depth different technologies both from the hardware and the software aspect. As part of product development and delivery one has to come up with the solution for a problem. In this case the problem is parking in urban areas, or the lack of smarter parking solutions. Such implementation would not only allow end users to have a better parking experience while saving time in finding an adequate spots but also provides the city with valuable data to be used for city planning and city improvement projects.

Once the issue is identified, it was important to find a technical solution that would align with our needs. For city implementations, given the broad area that needs to be covered, we would need a type of communication that is long range and low cost, both in cost of sending data and power consumption. I first tackled the hardware needs once the design was evaluated. The prototype for a smart city solution needs to also be scalable while adding the least overhead in cost and infrastructure needed.

In this article I will go more in depth on the research done to identify one of the key components of the project. I will share a summary of my findings in hopes of helping others that are also exploring similar solutions.

Evaluating communication solutions:

I evaluated BLE, bluetooth, cellular, satellite, Wi-Fi, SigFox, Zigbee and Lora. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, given its range limitation and cost were not considered for this prototype. Cellular communications have a higher cost as well, and at even steeper price comes satellite communication; both this options were also discarded. SigFox and LoRa/LoraWAN were the runner up candidates. I came across a comprehensive post on the comparison of SigFox and LoRa that is worth the read https://www.link-labs.com/blog/sigfox-vs-lora . The winner was LoRa.

Why Lora?

As explained by Libelium on http://www.libelium.com/development/waspmote/documentation/lora-vs-lorawan/ LoRa contains only the link layer protocol and is perfect to be used in P2P communications between nodes. LoRa modules are a little cheaper that the LoRaWAN ones.. 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 different frequencies by just connecting the right antenna to its socket..

LoRa which stands for long range wireless operates at a low bandwidth, meaning that its best application is for sending smaller pieces of data such as sensor data. LoRaWAN is known for its good penetration and long coverage which has been recorded to reach over 10 KM distance. LoRaWAN operates on unlicensed bands, so in most countries is legal to have you own LoRaWAN gateway cutting down the cost given that you will not have to pay a carrier or third party to supply you with the service.

Additionally a selling point for me personally was the wide accessibility to various developer platforms and hardware solutions such as DIY LoRa kits, libraries and Arduino compatible LoRa modules. The Things Network offers a strong platform with access to resources, documentation and a great community of IOT LoRa enthusiast.

Gateway

Lets take a look at one of the hardware pieces now. “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. Gateways are routers equipped with a LoRa concentrator, allowing them to receive LoRa packets”(see more at https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/gateways/). Below is a list of some gateways that were evaluated for this project. I spent time looking at their platform flexibility, the documentation and support provided and what would be the most cost effective solution for a minimum viable product (MVP).

Lorixone

https://lorixone.io/

LORIX One is the first low cost gateway designed and assembled in Switzerland. Its technical specifications include Runx Linux Yocto 4.X SX1301 gateway chip SPI based 8 channels, 49 demodulators @ 868MHz

Lorixone counts with great documentation accessible at https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/labs/story/install-awesome-lorix-one-gateway

Kerlink

Details at https://www.kerlink.com/iot-solutions-services/IoT%20LoRaWan%20Solutions/

Wirnet iBTS is a range of modular and upgradeable gateways designed for IoT public operators. It can be upgraded up to 64 LoRa™ channels to offer an answer to massive messages supporting. I was unable to identify the price point for this gateway.

The Things Gateway

Details at https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/gateways/gateway/

Retails: € 300.00 € 280.00 (ex VAT)

Originally started as a Kikstarter campaign viewable at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/419277966/the-things-network it provides 10 km / 6 miles radius of network coverage, it can server thousands of nodes and its an straight forward to set up. It counts with ample documentation and a strong community.

Technical specifications:

Fastest way to get started with LoRaWAN (Long Range WAN)

Set up your own LoRaWAN network in as little as 5 minutes

Connects easily to your WiFi or Ethernet connection

Wireless range of up to 10 km (6 miles)

Engage with a global community of IoT developers

Easy cloud integration with popular IoT platforms

Based on open source hardware and software standards

Devices can freely communicate over all gateways connected to The Things Network

XBEE slot for future connectivity protocols or homebrew add-ons.

Security through the https connection and embedded in the LoRaWAN protocol

Can serve thousands of nodes (depending on traffic)

Laird — RG1xx

Details at: https://www.lairdtech.com/products/rg1xx-lora-gateway

Retail 400+ US dollars

This gateway counts with a dual-band Wi-Fi, BT v4.0 (BLE and Classic) and wired Ethernet; LoRa range up to 10 miles and pre-loaded LoRa Packet Forwarder software

Technical specifications:

Full Linux operating system — Kernel v4.x running on Atmel A5 Core @ 536 MHz

Multiple interfaces such as LoRaWAN, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, and Ethernet

8-Channel LoRaWAN support with up to +27dBM max transmit power

Comprehensive Certifications for FCC / IC (RG191) and CE (RG186) (all pending)

Industrial temperature range (-30º to 70º C)

Advanced deployment tools including intuitive web-based configuration, integrated LoRa packet forwarder, and default settings for multiple LoRaWAN Network Server vendors

Enterprise-grade security built on Laird’s years of experience in wireless

Industry-leading support works directly with Laird engineers to help deploy your design

LoRa Network Server pre-sets — The Things Network, Loriot, Stream and Senet

Multitech

Developer resource http://www.multitech.net/developer/products/multiconnect-conduit-platform/

Retail 675–685 US dollars

Breakdown: base gateway MTCDT-H5–210L-US-EU-GB https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/multi-tech-systems-inc/MTCDT-H5-210L-US-EU-GB/881-1236-ND/5246365() $490, antenna (https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/multi-tech-systems-inc/AN868-915A-10HRA/881-1242-ND/5246371) $13, LoRa module MTAC-LORA-915 (https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/multi-tech-systems-inc/MTAC-LORA-915/881-1239-ND/5246368) $180

The MultiConnect® Conduit™ is a configurable, scalable cellular communications gateway for industrial IoT applications. Conduit allows users to plug in two MultiConnect mCard™ accessory cards supporting wired or wireless interfaces. It counts with open source Linux development, wwo mcard slots, Lora 8 channel receiver, Spred spectrum frequency hopping that is ued to Up to 10 miles line of sight. MultiConnect has done a great job with its documentation and it counts with its own platform that can be used as well.

Lorrier LR2

Details at: https://lorrier.com/#introducing-lr2

Developer resource: https://github.com/lorriercom

Retail €615.00 €755.00

Based on LoRaWAN™ protocol. This is a fully outdoor device intended to establish a wide coverage network by telecommunications operators and local network by individuals or IoT connectivity service providers. The whole solution, including both HW and SW parts, follows the Lorrier culture, and it is shared as an Open Source.

The gateway is based on iC880a LoRaWAN™ concentrator by IMST which uses Semtech SX1301 base band processor designed for use with LoRa® networks. BeagleBone Green with 1GHz (2000 MIPS) processor and fully operational on fast SPI bus was chosen as a powerful control unit.

LoRa/LoRaWAN Gateway — 915MHz for Raspberry Pi 3

Details at https://www.seeedstudio.com/LoRa%2FLoRaWAN-Gateway-915MHz-for-Raspberry-Pi-3-p-2821.html

Retails 289.00 US dollars

If you want to build you own LoRa network, there are 3 things that you should prepare to get started: a Gateway, at least one Node and a local server where you can monitor all your devices. This kit provides a gateway & local server that allows you to collect and transfer data among all your LoRa nodes. By connecting the gateway with Seeeduino LoRaWAN and Grove modules, you can build your IOT prototype within minutes.

Regarding the gateway module RHF0M301, it is a 10 channel(8 x Multi-SF + 1 x Standard LoRa + 1 x FSK) LoRaWan gateway moduel with a 24pin DIP port on board, users can easily connect the RHF0M301 with PRI 2 bridge RHF4T002, adapter for Raspberry Pi 3 and RHF0M301.

RisingHF gateway

Details at http://www.risinghf.com/product/rhf0m301/?lang=en

I have seen this solution mentioned and used across the LoRaWAN community. Its technical specs are RHF0M301 is a 10 channels (8 x Multi-SF + 1 x Standard LoRa + 1 x FSK) LoRa/LoRaWAN gateway or concentrator module. The module is integrated one 24 pins DIP hearder, with this header user could connect RHF0M301 with his own embedded platform to build a customized gateway easily.

LG01 LoRa OpenWrt IoT Gateway by Dragino Tech

Details at https://www.tindie.com/products/edwin/lg01-lora-openwrt-iot-gateway/?pt=ac_prod_search

Retails 56.00 US dollars

This gateway is a long distance wireless 433/868/915Mhz, OpenWrt, LoRa IoT Gateway

The LG01 is an open source single channel LoRa Gateway. It lets you bridge LoRa wireless network to an IP network via WiFi, Ethernet, 3G or 4G cellular.

DYI options:

There are various posts on DYI options based both from Raspberry Pi and Arduino boards. Below are a few:

Build your own gateway

https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/gateways/start/build.html

Building a Raspberry Pi Powered LoRaWAN Gateway

https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/building-a-raspberry-pi-powered-lorawan-gateway

Hardware IMST iC880A LoRaWAN “concentrator” board and Raspberry Pi

The iC880A — LoRaWAN https://wireless-solutions.de/products/long-range-radio/ic880a iC880A is able to receive packets of different end devices send with different spreading factors on up to 8 channels in parallel. In combination with an embedded Linux board like Raspberry Pi, Beagle Bone, Banana Pi and the HAL software from https://github.com/Lora-net a complete LoRaWAN® gateway can be setup easily.

From zero to LoRaWAN in a weekend

https://github.com/ttn-zh/ic880a-gateway/wiki

Based iC880a concentrator board and a Raspberry Pi 2.

A DIY low-cost LoRa gateway

http://cpham.perso.univ-pau.fr/LORA/RPIgateway.html

The gateway is based on a Raspberry PI. RPI 1B+/2B/3B can be used. The LoRa modules comes from (a) Libelium LoRa radio module, (b) HopeRF RFM92W/HopeRF RFM95W (or RFM96W for 433MHz), © Modtronix inAir9/inAir9B (or inAir4 for 433MHz), (d) NiceRF LoRa1276. Libelium LoRa and RFM92W use the Semtech SX1272 chip while RFM95W, inAir9/9B and NiceRF LoRa1276 use the SX1276 which is actually more versatile.

Note: The LoRa module and the LoRaWAN module are not compatible because the protocols are different. The LoRa module implements a simple link protocol, created by Libelium. However, the LoRaWAN module runs the LoRaWAN protocol, a much richer and more advanced protocol, created by the LoRa Alliance.

Check out their Github page with detailed documentation https://github.com/CongducPham/LowCostLoRaGw

Conclusion on gateways:

The gateway is a key portion of this solution given that the sensors will need to send the information “somewhere” where it can either be analyzed on the edge or sent to the cloud. After considering price ranges on both the parts needed for a DIY solution or a full blown gateway I considered those solutions that would be cost effective and which I was most familiar with. The “LG01 LoRa OpenWrt IoT Gateway by Dragino Tech” seemed the best approach. The developer kit counts with an Arduino developer node and a Developer gateway. Note that this solution only counts with ONE channel, in comparison with other solutions that allow 8+ channels. This was a compromise that was evaluated and given that this will be a prototype the one channel option seemed sufficient.

In the following articles I will showcase both the remaining hardware parts and the software portion along with updates on how the project is coming along.

#iot #internetofthings #technology #TechNews #tech #smartcities #lora #lorawan