To understand all about nodes, gateways, and servers, first, we must understand what a LoRaWAN or LoRa network is.
LoRaWAN (long-range wide area network)
LoRaWAN is a low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) protocol designed to enable long-range communication between LoRa-based devices and the internet. LoRaWAN builds on the underlying LoRa technology, adding network and application layer features that make it a complete and standardized solution for deploying IoT devices and services.
Nodes
In the LoRa system, a device that has some sensors and is equipped with a LoRa transceiver is called a node. Some sensors LoRa nodes may contain are environmental sensors, asset tracking sensors, industrial sensors, smart metering sensors, and safety and security sensors.
Environmental sensors such as temperature, humidity, air quality, and soil moisture sensors can be used in agriculture, forestry, and smart city applications.
Asset tracking sensors such as GPS trackers can be used in logistics, supply chain, and fleet management applications.
Industrial sensors such as pressure, flow, and vibration sensors, can be used in manufacturing, energy, and utility applications.
Smart metering sensors such as water, gas, and electricity meters can be used in utility and smart city applications.
Safety and security sensors such as smoke detectors, intrusion sensors, and panic buttons can be used in home automation, public safety, and emergency response applications.
The role of the node is to collect data from its environment, such as temperature, humidity, or movement, and transmit that data to a gateway over the LoRa network. Nodes typically operate on battery power and are designed to be low-cost and low-power so that they can operate for extended periods of time without needing to be recharged or replaced.
The basics of node architecture include sensors, microcontrollers, LoRa transceivers, an antenna, a power source, and an enclosure.
The sensor is the primary component of the node that collects data from the environment or device being monitored while the microcontroller is responsible for processing data from the sensor and encoding it into a format suitable for transmission over the LoRa network. The LoRa transceiver is a radio module that transmits and receives data using LoRa modulation, while the antenna is responsible for transmitting and receiving the LoRa signal over the air. The node, or power source, is typically powered by a battery, which needs to be chosen based on the node’s power requirements and expected lifetime. Finally, the enclosure provides physical protection to the node and can be designed to meet the requirements of the specific use case.
Overall, the architecture of a LoRa node is designed to be low-power, low-cost, and flexible, making it well-suited for a wide range of IoT applications.
The communication from nodes
LoRa nodes communicate with gateways over the air using LoRa modulation. They transmit data packets using specific frequency, spreading factor configurations, and can also listen for commands or configuration messages from the network. LoRa nodes can operate in a peer-to-peer fashion, communicating directly with other nodes, or in a star-of-stars topology, communicating with gateways that relay their data to a central server over the internet. Overall, LoRa nodes are a key building block of LoRa networks, enabling the collection and transmission of data from a wide range of devices and sensors in various IoT applications.
Gateways
In LoRa, a gateway is a device that acts as a bridge between the LoRa nodes and the internet. The gateway receives data packets from LoRa nodes and forwards them to a server over the internet. Similarly, the gateway can receive data packets from the server and forward them to the appropriate LoRa nodes.
A practical gateway consists of multiple channels for transmitting and receiving data over LoRa, typically ranging from 8 to 16 channels. Some high-end gateways can support even more channels, up to 72 channels.
Architecture
Basically, gateway architecture is the same as the node part from one part which is an external network adapter that connects the whole circuit to the internet. So, it can transmit packets received on LoRa protocol. Here, the Lora transceiver is called a concentrator. It also sometimes consists of a powerful processor instead of a microcontroller. For network server connection, the gateway connects to the LoRa network server, which manages the data flow between the gateway and the LoRa nodes.
LoRa server
In LoRa, a server is a component of the network infrastructure that processes and stores data transmitted by LoRa nodes and gateways. The server can be hosted in the cloud or on a local network, and it typically runs specialized software that enables it to receive, decode, and process data transmitted over the LoRa network; it has a short name, LNS (LoRa network server). It sometimes also consists of an application server too, which transmits the data directly to a database or other applications. Using HTTP, MQTT, UDP, and other services.
The key functions of a LoRa server include:
- Network management: the LoRa server manages the entire network, including the nodes and gateways, and ensures that they are all properly configured and registered. It is responsible for assigning unique identifiers to each node and gateway and keeping track of their location.
- Security: the LoRa server ensures that the network is secure by implementing encryption and authentication protocols. It also manages the keys used for encryption and decryption and ensures that they are updated regularly to maintain network security.
- Data routing: the LoRa server routes data between nodes, gateways, and applications. It ensures that data is delivered to the correct recipient and that it is transmitted in a secure and reliable manner.
- Application integration: the LoRa server provides an interface for applications to access the data collected by the nodes and gateways. It also provides tools for developers to build custom applications and integrate them with the LoRa network.
- Analytics and reporting: the LoRa server provides tools for analyzing the data collected by the nodes and gateways. It allows users to create custom reports and visualizations to gain insights into the network’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
The LoRa server plays a critical role in the success of a LoRa network. It provides a central point of control for managing the network, ensures that data is transmitted securely and reliably, and provides tools for analyzing and reporting on network performance. The server is typically deployed on a cloud-based platform, which allows for easy scalability and remote management.
Some popular LoRa servers’ software open source:
- The Things Network (TTN): The Things Network is a widely used open-source LoRaWAN server that provides cloud-based infrastructure for LoRaWAN networks. It offers a free, community-based version as well as a paid, enterprise version with additional features that can be found here.
- ChirpStack: ChirpStack is another popular open-source LoRaWAN server that provides a complete stack for LoRaWAN networks, including a network server, application server, and device management. It also offers a community edition and a paid enterprise edition. It can be found here.
Why do we need servers and gateways in the RF system?
RF system was used to be simple communication between two devices, one to many devices, and many to one device — and if you ever wanted to extend the range of an RF system, mesh networking was used.
Now to extend the range of any RF system, we must use gateways that do not affect the battery life of other nodes when communicating with one node.
You may also like:
Filed Under: IoT tutorials, Tutorials
Questions related to this article?
👉Ask and discuss on EDAboard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com forums.
Tell Us What You Think!!
You must be logged in to post a comment.