IoT & LoRa

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a system of interrelated computing devices, physical objects with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies that have unique identifiers (UID). The IoT Network involves machine communication, device identification, and communication. Therefore, choosing the best wireless network based on IoT specifications is essential. IoT devices can transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. As a result, users may encounter difficulties with security, integration, processing power, scalability, and accessibility. Solving these issues involves smart approaches IoT device management.

What are LoRa and LoRaWAN?

LoRa enables very long-range transmissions (more than 10 km in rural areas) with low power consumption. It is a widely used technology for IoT networks worldwide. Thanks to LoRa technology, we are able to solve some of the world's biggest problems: energy management, natural resource reduction, environmental protection, infrastructure efficiency, disaster control, and more. However, LoRa’s low bandwidth cannot be used for just any application. As a result, due to constraints on the frequency range it uses, the protocol does not allow continuous transmitting.

LoRaWAN is a low-power, wide area networking protocol built on top of the LoRa radio modulation technique. It wirelessly connects devices to the Internet and manages communication between end-node devices and network gateways. Thus, LoRaWAN defines the communication protocol and system architecture for the network, while the LoRa physical layer enables the long-range communication link, with the assistance of the gateway. The gateway helps achieve transmission from an electrical device to the cloud, especially in environments where other types of networks are not usable due to technical constraints.

What can you do with LoRa technologies? What does Elektor offer? Which accessories are available?

LoRa are a great choice for indoor use in for a broad spectrum of applications, including smart cities, buildings, agriculture, metering, healthcare, and logistics. It is secure, bidirectional, low-power, and long-range. Accessories help users optimize their IoT setups. Elektor offers a wide range of components, including gateways, RFID readers, IoT shields, and different types of sensors (e.g., temperature, position, and humidity) to meet the various needs of a wide range of customers.

The Future of LoRa

LoRa will help lower the cost of creating IoT solutions and enabling large-scale IoT applications. It is expected to play a key role as a communication network. For instance, we anticipate it will be utilized for a wide range of applications, such as countless smart lighting systems, hydropower usage tracking, and industrial data monitoring and analysis.