Microchip’s Long-Range Low-Power End Node Solution
With the growing Internet of Things, we have a LoRa® technology wireless solution to address increasing demands on end-devices for long range connectivity, low-power for battery operation, and low infrastructure cost for volume deployment.
Our LoRa technology solution is ready to run out-of-the box and with the complete LoRaWAN® protocol and certifications in place, it reduces time to market and saves development costs.
LoRa technology is ideal for battery-operated sensor and low power applications, including:
- Internet of Things
- Smart agriculture
- Smart city
- Sensor networks
- Industrial automation
- Smart meters
- Asset tracking
- Smart home
- M2M
LoRa Technology
- Long range: greater than 15 km
- High capacity of up to 1 million nodes
- Long battery life: over 10 years
- Reduced synchronization overhead and no hops in mesh network
- Secured and efficient network
- Interference immunity
Microchip's LoRa Technology Module
- Embedded LoRaWAN Protocol Class A: easily connects to LoRa technology gateway
- LoRaWAN protocol stack ready in system
- Simple ASCII command set
- Full certification by region
LoRa technology is a proprietary wireless technology developed by Semtech Corporation. It utilizes a spread spectrum modulation in the Sub-GHz band to enable long range (greater than 10 miles) coverage, low power consumption (up to 10 years battery power), high network capacity (up to 1 million nodes), robust communication, and localization capability.
- LoRa technology is capable of demodulating 20 dB below noise level, significantly improving immunity to the interference when combined with integrated forward error correction.
- LoRa technology has high sensitivity, −148 dBm, enabling extremely long range connectivity.
LoRaWAN Protocol
The LoRaWAN protocol is a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) specification intended for wireless battery-operated devices in regional, national or global networks.
LoRaWAN protocol targets key requirements of the Internet of Things such as:
- Secure bi-directional communication
- Mobility
- Localization services
The LoRaWAN protocol standard will provide seamless interoperability among Smart ‘things’ without the need for complex local installations, further enabling the Internet of Things.
LoRaWAN Protocol Security
The LoRaWAN protocol implements several layers of encryption to ensure the highest security for the whole infrastructure.
- Unique network session key ensures security on network server/network level
- Unique application session key ensures security on the application server/application level
- Application key specific for the end device
The LoRaWAN protocol addresses a variety of applications by providing different protocol classes:
- Bi-directional end-devices (Class A): End-devices of Class A allow for bi-directional communications whereby each end-device's uplink transmission is followed by two short downlink receive windows.
- Bi-directional end-devices with scheduled receive slots (Class B): In addition to the Class A random receive windows, Class B devices open extra receive windows at scheduled times (available in future release)
- Bi-directional end-devices with maximal receive slots (Class C): End-devices of Class C have nearly continuously open receive windows, only closed when transmitting (available in future release)
For more details, please visit the LoRaWAN Specification page on the LoRa Alliance's website.
LoRa technology network’s architecture is a star topology. End devices transfer data to gateways which pass data to the network server. There are currently two LoRa technology network options available:
- Private Networks
- Public Networks
Private Networks
- Individually managed networks
- Local area networks
A LoRa Technology Private Network Is Comprised of Three Basic Parts
- Microchip end-devices
- LoRa technology gateway
- LoRa technology network server
We make it easy to establish the LoRa technology IoT infrastructure by providing complete, fully-certified, LoRat technology end-device modules. The modules have embedded LoRaWAN on-board to easily connect to any LoRa Alliance certified gateway and network services listed below:
- Gateway: Actility, Cisco, Kirlink, Multitech
- Network Server: Actility, IBM, Senet
Public Networks
- Telecom- and operator-managed networks
- Nationwide deployment
A LoRa Technology Public Network Is Comprised of Four Basic Parts
- Microchip end-devices
- LoRa technology gateway
- LoRa technology public network operator (Telecom)
- LoRa technology network server
Telecom companies integrate gateways on towers and provide network service. Our end devices are embedded with the LoRaWAN protocol to easily connect to the telecom service provider.
LoRa Technology Public Service Providers
- Europe: Bouygues, KPN, Vodafone, Swisscom
- Asia: SingTel
SAM R34 Xplained Pro Evaluation Kit
Part Number: DM320111
Hardware platform designed to evaluate the SAM R34 family of LoRa® devices
RN2483 PICtail™/PICtail Plus Daughter Board
Part Number: RN-2483-PICtail
Development board that showcases the RN2483 LoRa transceiver module (EU version: 433, 868 MHz)
RN2483 LoRa Mote Development Board
Part Number: DM164138
Battery-powered 868 MHz (EU version) LoRa Mote demonstration board with USB interface
RN2903 PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board
Part Number: RN-2903-PICtail
Development board that showcases the RN2903 LoRa transceiver module (NA version: 915 MHz)
RN2903 LoRa Mote Development Board
Part Number: DM164139
Battery-powered 915 MHz (NA version) LoRa Mote demonstration board with USB interface
The Industry’s Lowest-Power LoRa® System-in-Package
Accelerate development of remote IoT nodes with the industry’s lowest-power LoRa® System-in-Package family
