About LoRA Technology
The number of connected IoT devices is expected to reach 125 billion by 2030, wireless technologies that support them are also continuing to get a good deal of attention. LoRA is a type of low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) one of the important communications technology which is becoming increasingly used. This article will explain more about its strengths and weaknesses.
LoRa is a non-cellular modulation technology for LoRaWAN. (The same BPSK or QPSK is the modulation of NB-IoT.) The terms—LoRa and LoRaWAN—aren’t interchangeable: LoRaWAN is the standard protocol for WAN communications and LoRa is used as a wide area network technology.
LoRa is used primarily in two ways:
One is LoRaWAN, which has been deployed mainly in Europe. It has small message size capacity, as low as 12 bytes.
LoRa represents a great radio network for IoT solutions and has better link budgets than other comparable radio technologies. But with the exception of a few markets in Europe, connecting to LoRaWAN networks—or to use LoRa you need to deploy your own network gateway before doing so.
That may seem like a negative, but it actually makes LoRa a suitable alternative option to WiFi for low-power devices that need to be connected around a building, such as a manufacturing plant or warehouse. It is likely that IT department would not approve of putting a third-party device on its own network due to security issues. Setting up your own gateway alows you to create a completely separate and secure network. It’s the only technology capable of being used as a “do-it yourself” set up; any company has the freedom to build and implement their own connected device’s wherever its possible to put up a gateway.
Advantages of LoRA
It is ideal for single-building applications.
You can install and manage your own network.
LoRa is an option if you require bidirectionality, such as, command and control functionality, this is because of the symmetric link.
LoRa devices work well when they are traveling, which makes them useful for tracking moving assets, such as traking delivery vehicals.
LoRa devices outperform NB-IoT devices in battery life performance.
Disadvantages of LoRA
Lower data rates than NB-IoT.
LORA has a longer inital conection time than NB-IoT.
It requires a gateway to work, however this can also be an advantage when building a secure network.
Useful Applications
Smart Buildings
Metering
Ventilation
Lighting
Access controls
Alarm systems
Smart City
Streetlights
Parking
Waste management
City planning
Traffic management
Environment and Agriculture
Air quality monitoring
Livestock tracking and monitoring
Autonomous farming
Livestock health
Industry
Predictive maintenance
Logistics management
Hazard prevention
Productivity monitoring
Quality control
LoRa
IronLink LoRa is an industrial Low-Power, Long Range LoRa® transceiver
with GPS capabilities. A Rugged LoRaWAN Development Board for challenging
applications. Integrated battery management, GPS and Fault Detection.
A rugged solution to your IoT needs
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F.A.Q.
If you need low-power connectivity for asset tracking or mass sensing applications the IronLink is the easiest way to get started with LPWAN.
Does the eSIM work out of the box?
The embedded SIM card is not pre-activated, the IronLink is ready to transmit data as soon as you top up the sim card.
Does it come with data?
All IronLink LTE devices are eligible for 10 Euros worth of free data. Simply register your device's with us and claim your data to get connected.
Are SMS messages included with the eSIM?
The SIM includes 10 Euros of free data.
Do I have to use the embedded SIM?
We provide the eSIM to make fleet management cheaper and reduce overheads, but use of the eSIM is not mandatory. We provide a micro SIM connector on the back of the board so you may use any provider of cellular data.
Can I use the eSIM and an external SIM card?
Absolutely, the eSIM and regular sim card are connected to a multiplexer and can be easily switched in software. The eSIM is generally more rugged than a standard SIM card and makes an great backup in the case of a failure.
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