The Internet of Things, or IoT, has become a huge industry today and increases efficiency and productivity in many areas. There are three basic structures for a healthy IoT system:
End devices to collect data from the field and take action.
Gateways to transfer the data collected from end devices to the Internet (IP) network.
Server software that will analyze the collected data and manage the devices in the field.
IoT devices that collect data from the field and transfer it directly to the Internet infrastructure are also quite common. However, since these devices require TCP/IP hardware, they cannot be used in many industrial, agricultural and smart city applications. In addition, the energy consumption of these devices prevents them from working independently of the mains, that is, with batteries.
IoT Protocols :
Some protocols have been developed to solve the communication and energy problems of IoT devices. Some of these are in the list below.
- SigFox
- LoRa
- Wi-Sun
- IEEE 802.15.4
Among these protocols, LoRa stood out as energy efficiency, RF permeability and hardware support.
LoRaWAN Networks :
A LoRaWAN network runs on LoRa RF technology. In LoRaWAN network, end devices communicate over Internet infrastructure through gateways. LoRaWAN end devices have high energy efficiency, so they can work with batteries for long periods of time.
Areas where the use of LoRaWAN network is advantageous:
- If it is desired to receive data from a point where there is no energy,
- If there is a need for high RF transmittance in the city,
- If a free, free Radio band is desired to be used,
- LoRaWAN is advantageous if the data transmission frequency and size are not high.
Areas where the LoRaWAN network is disadvantaged:
- If data transfer of very high size and frequency is to be provided,
- If the transmission distance is more than 15 km
- LoRaWAN can be disadvantageous if a network is desired in the organ topology.
Network Setup :
The following example can be used to set up a simple LoRaWAN network. Devices and software have been chosen as examples.
- Dragino LT22222 LoRaWAN IO Module (End Device)
- Dragino LG308 Gateway
- Chirpstack LoRa Network Server, Application Server.
- ICONICS Genesis64 SCADA & HMI
