RF Technologies

LoRa Technology

What is LoRa Technology?:

LoRa is the physical layer/wireless modulation utilized to create the long range communication
link.

LoRa is based on chirp spread spectrum modulation (CSSM)

Consumes low power but achieves significant increase in communication range compared to
WiFi, BLE

LoRa is first low cost commercial implementation of CSSM used in Military for years

LoRa
is synonymous
with Long Range
Technology
Attribute
Value

To be used in P2P communications between nodes

Range
Urban: 2-5Kms
Rural/Sub-Urban: <15 Km
Frequency Band

EU 868 MHz; EU 433 MHz; US 915 MHz; AS 430

Typical Power Consumption

40mA during transmission; 10mA during reception

~125mW

Air Data Rate

0.3 to 50 kb/s

Battery Life Claimed

>10 Years

What is LoRaWAN?:
LoRaWAN is LPWAN (Low Power WAN), defines the communication protocol and system
architecture for the network

LoRa

LoRaWAN

Contains only the link layer protocol and is

perfect to be used in P2P communications
between nodes.LoRa modulesare a little
cheaper that the LoRaWAN ones. It works in
the 868 and 900MHz bands.

Includes the network layer too so it is possible to

send the information to any Base Station already
connected
to
a
Cloud
platform.
LoRaWAN modulesmay
work
in
the
868/900/433MHz bands.

Comparison of RF technologies
Long Range Networks

Short Range Networks

Proprietar Cellular 3G PP,

LoRa
SigFox
y
LTE-M, NB-IoT, ECBT/BLE
Wi-Fi
ZigBee

Sub GHz
GSM
2 to 5:Urban
<10-LTE-M
<15:Suburban 3-10:Urban
0.1 Urban <15 NB-IoT, EC-GSM ~0.003
Range (Km)
0.01 0.075
0.1 mesh
15-30:Rural
30-50: Rural
0.7 Rural
35 - GSM
0.01
200 - 3G/4G
Frequency Unlicensed 900
900/1800/1900/2100
868 MHz, 915
868/902 MHz
900MHz
2.4GHz
2.4GHz
Band
MHz
MHz
MHz, 2.4 GHz
<70kbps- EC-GSM
<0.6 kb/s
<200kbps-NB IoT
Data Rate
0.3 - 50 kbps
9600
bandwidth
<1Mbps-LTE-M
1-3Mb/Sec 600mbps max 20-250Kb/s
Range
adaptive
1Mbps+
<500kHz
35 - 170kbps GSM
3 - 10mpbs LTE
Low-BLE
Power
Low
Low
Medium
Medium
MediumMedium
Low
Profile
BT
No Fully
(Down Link
Biderectiona
Yes
from Base
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
l
station is
Constrained)
Used in
Thermo
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Fisher
Medium (as
Low (No fees
subscription
need to be paid
fees needs to
to Network.
Low:
Low: CAPEX+
be paid to
Medium:
Low: CAPEX +
Private
CAPEX+
ZigBee
SigFox):
CAPEX
Medium:
Wi-Fi Alliance
Cost
Network can be
BT Alliance
Alliance
CAPEX+OPEX
+
CAPEX+OPEX
membership
built): CAPEX +
Membershi
Membership

Power Consumption vs Range

LoRa Modules

LoRaWAN Gateways

https://www.loriot.io/lora-gateways.html
7

LoRaWAN Infrastructure

Sensor Nodes: LoRaWAN Module/USB stick+ Raspi

8

Connectivity Option with IMSTIC880A

Sensor Nodes
$202.97
concentrator
+

$ 77

$ 35

IMSTIC880A

OR

RN2483 LoRaWAN module with

Libelium Connection Bridge and
with Raspberry Pi

RsPi
~$340

LoRaWAN Base station/Gateway using

RsPi host & IMST IC880A concentrator

http://www.embeddedworks.net/lpwan104.html

RsPi with MultiTech mCARD and

LoRaWAN USB stick

+
OR

Sensor Nodes with RPi

Not a recommended solution:
Attach mCARD with Raspberry Pi
Directly by modifying it
10

MultiTech MultiConduit Gateway

Base Station
mCard Options
Multi-Function Serial (both DTE and DCE
variants)
General Purpose Input Output (GPIO)
LoRaWAN Long Range, Low Power Wireless
Access Network
Ethernet, XBee, and CAN and MOD bus
releasing in 2016
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GNSS native to the
Conduit board releasing in 2016

Connectivity Option with LoRaWAN module

Multi tech
MultiConduit
LoRaWAN
Concentrator Base
Station

RN2483 LoRaWAN module with

Libelium Connection Bridge and
11
with Raspberry Pi Sensor Nodes

Connectivity Option with Libelium LoRa

(P2P)module

Cloud Connector software can be custom developed or we can

Procure from firms such as Loriot.

Meshlium LoRa
Wireless AP

12

Multi-Channel: Sensor Nodes with

Raspi and Libelium LoRa Module
SX1272

LoRaWAN Costs
Item

Unit Cost

Remarks

LoRa Alliance Adopter membership costs: 3000 USD

CAPEX
LoRa Modem+
Gateway +
RsPi Host

~340 Euro

Purchase

Software Costs

Developed In house

OPEX (If Gateway is not purchased and is rented)

Subscription cost if LoRaWAN gateway not bought (LORIOT);
www.loriot.com

13

10 Devices

Freemium A/C not for commercialization. LorIot

provides

2500 Devices

TBD

14

CYIENT 2016 CONFIDENTIAL

12/27/16

ZigBee Technology

What is ZigBee Technology?:

Technological Standard Created for Control and Sensor Networks
Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 Standard
Created by the ZigBee Alliance
It offers full wireless mesh networking capable of supporting more than 64,000
devices on a single network.
Low data rate
Low power consumption
Small packet devices
Technology Attribute

15

Value

Range

0 - 100m+

Frequency Band

Unlicensed ISM Bands 868 MHz, 915 MHz, 2.4 gHz

Typical Power Consumption

<1mW(Very Low)

Air Data Rate

20-250Kb/s

Battery Life Claimed

Months/Years(100-1000 days) depending on

application

Channels

16 in 2.4 GHz frequency

Profiles supported

Supports Alliance standards (public application

profiles) or manufacturer specific profiles

IEEE 802.15.4 & ZigBee In

Context

Characteristic

Details

Network Architecture

Wireless Mesh consisting of network coordinator, routers and end

devices

Topology

Multiple star topology & inter-personal area network (PAN)

communication

Network Node
Association

Discovery and Pairing Mechanism

Devices

Full Function: Can act as Router, coordinator and end device On

AC mains
Reduced Function: Sensors associated with FFDs and do not route

Typical ZigBee Connection

+
$24.82

Zigbee/Wifi/Ethernet
Router
$8
3
$35.00

Sensor Nodes/End Device

Zigbee/Wifi/Ethernet
Gateway/Coordinator,
$8
3
17

Costs
Item

Unit Cost

Remarks

LoRa Alliance Adopter membership costs: 4000 USD

CAPEX

18

Zigbee USB
adaptor

24.82 USD

Purchase

Zigbee+ WiFi
Ethernet Gateway

83 USD

Purchase

Software Costs

Developed In house

Subscription costs

No option for subscription

ZigBee Alliance

ZigBee Alliance is a non profit grouping . It is a group of companies that maintain and
publish the ZigBee standard. The termZigBeeis a registeredtrademarkof this group, not
a single technical standard. The Alliance publishesapplication profilesthat allow multiple
OEMvendors to create interoperable products. The relationship betweenIEEE 802.15.4
and ZigBeeis similar to that betweenIEEE 802.11and theWi-Fi Alliance.

19

20

CYIENT 2016 CONFIDENTIAL

12/27/16

SigFox Technology

SigFox

21

SIGFOX is a cellular style system that enables remote devices to connect using
ultra-narrow band, UNB technology.
SIGFOX provides a tailor-made solution for low-throughput Internet of Things and
M2M applications
SIGFOX describes itself as "the first and only company providing global cellular
connectivity for the Internet of Things". Its infrastructure is "completely
independent of existing networks, such as telecommunications networks.
Technology Attribute
Value
Range

3-10 Km: Rural

30-50Km: Rural

Frequency Band

Unlicensed ISM Bands 868 MHz, 915 MHz, 2.4 gHz

Typical Power Consumption

35mW

Air Data Rate

0.6Kb/s(Very Low)

Battery Life Claimed

10 Years

Network

Cellular Type network for IoT

Applications:
Home
and
consumer
goods
Energy
related
communications
in
particular smart metering

Healthcare - in particular
the mHealth applications
that are starting to be
developed

Transportation - this can

include
the
automotive
management
Remote
monitoring
and
control

SigFox network topology

22

Recommendation
Base on the must have requirements of

Low Cost of Equipment and deployment

Flexibility to create a private network
Low Power Consumption
Seamless bi directional data transmission
Coverage in countries in scope: China, U.S, U.K, Canada, EU.
Australia, India
Availability of compatible H/W
Enhanced Data Security Requirements
Similar or Higher Data Communication Range in comparison to WiFi
Adaptable Data Rates Suitable for RM application
Availability of Internet Gateways having enabling multiple standardsWiFi and LoRaWan/WiFi and Zigbee

We Recommend

23

LoRaWAN as the back up technology for WiFi/BT for longer range and
ZigBee as the back up technology for shorter ranges