Knowledge base

The LoRa Alliance is a non-profit organization behind the standardization of the LoRaWAN network. The organization consists of all kinds of members from different industries (from operators and multinationals to sensor manufacturers). The members work together to drive a successful global rollout of the LoRa (Long Range Low Power) protocol, by sharing knowledge and experience and establishing collaboration between operators worldwide. The organization is responsible for the LoRaWAN standard and the issuance of certificates. The certificate indicates that a sensor functions according to the LoRaWAN standard and is compatible with all LoRaWAN networks (apart from the fact that the frequency can differ per country).  

TTN (The Things Network) has announced the LoRaWAN technology by offering a free LoRaWAN network server that is accessible to everyone. The principle is to build an open LoRaWAN network with international coverage. It is a community where all members agree that their own infrastructure (LoRaWAN gateways) can be used by everyone. It is a free service provided that all data from all available sensors in the vicinity can use your gateways to communicate with third-party applications. There is no guarantee for the availability of different nodes of the network, except for the LoRaWAN gateways that you add yourself. Thingsdata offers standard integration with The Things Network.

When using sensors that communicate via a LoRaWAN network, the LoRaWAN network server is a central element. The LoRaWAN network server is responsible for the management of the connected LoRaWAN Gateways (Radio Access Network), the authorization of the sensors and the exchange of data (uplink, downlink) between the sensors and the applications.

LoRaWAN sensors can work with three classes: Class A, Class B and Class C. Class A, first class: Send a message as set in the LoRaWAN sensor. A downlink message is only possible within two receiving slots above the LoRaWAN sensor that has sent a message. Most energy efficient. Mandatory to any LoRaWAN sensor. Class B Extension to Class A. The LoRaWAN sensor listens at a large interval. The network sends beacons to the LoRaWAN sensors that determine the interval. Less energy efficient than class A. Class C Extension to Class A. Download messages possible at any time. LoRaWAN sensor listens continuously. Not energy efficient Few LoRaWAN sensors are still available with Class C.

Over The Air Activation (OTAA) is a method by which a LoRa sensor is linked to a LoRaWAN network. Another method by which a LoRa sensor can be linked to a network is Activation By Personalization (ABP). Before a sensor can participate in a LoRaWAN network, the following data must be known to both the sensor and the network: the DevAddr, NwkSKey and the AppSKey. The DevAddr is a unique address within the LoRaWAN network, which identifies the sensor. The NwkSKey and AppSKey are required for the encryption of the messages. In OTAA, these three data are generated and exchanged between the network and the sensor by means of a join procedure. OTAA and the join procedure During the join procedure, the security keys (NwkSKey and AppSKey) are determined dynamically and the network distributes a free DevAddr to the sensor. This means that every time the sensor opens a new session, new encryption keys are also generated. For security reasons, it can be decided to open a new session every once in a while, so that the security keys are refreshed. To perform the join procedure with the OTAA method, three data are required (this is different data than the above data), this concerns the DevEUI, AppEUI and AppKey. When this data is configured on both the sensor side and the network side, it is possible to run the join procedure and dynamically calculate the aforementioned DevAddr, NwkSKey and AppSKey. Because this data is generated dynamically, it is possible to have the sensor switch networks. This is in contrast to the ABP method.

Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution and goes a step further than digitization, it is the connection and communication between different systems and machines that makes organizations work faster, more efficiently and largely automated. Industry 4.0 is the transition from digitization to an economy and society in which the boundaries between the physical, digital and biological world are increasingly disappearing.

The capabilities of each simcard form factor are the same, but they each have different dimensions, making them suitable for specific types of devices. 2FF, 3FF and 4FF simcards must be placed in a device, while MFF2 simcards that are vacuum sealed are soldered directly to the printed circuit board. That is why they are also called embedded simcards. IoT connectivity simcards come in four different forms ranging from 2FF, the largest simcard, to 4FF, or nano simcard, the newest and smallest of the simcards. In addition, there is also a built-in simcard option: the MFF2 (sim chip). Each generation of simcard is smaller than the previous one. Although they are usually referred to by the generation they originate from (2, 3, 4), they are also referred to as 'mini simcards' (2FF), 'micro simcards' (3FF), 'nano simcards' (4FF) , or called “embedded simcards” (MFF2). SIM form factor dimensions 2FF (mini): 25mm x 15mm x 0.76mm 3FF (micro): 15mm x 12mm x 0.76mm 4FF (nano): 12.3mm × 8.8mm × 0.67mm MFF2 (embedded): 5mm x 6mm x 1mm

An IoT connectivity simcard or SIM (subscriber identity module) consists of a contact chip that is encased in protective plastic. The contact chip contains the authentication data of a device, which gives the device access to a mobile network.

LTE (Long Term Evolution), also known as 4G, will be available in the Netherlands from 2010 on a limited scale. The LTE network was only publicly accessible in 2013. LTE has a maximum speed of 12.5 MB/s and is designed to be backward compatible with 3G and 2G). LTE is also much more flexible with bandwidth allocation, resulting in much less congestion.

3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is an agreement between different telecommunications standards that was established in December 1998. The aim of 3GPP is to create a globally applicable technical system and report, based on the evolution of the third generation GSM networks and radio technology, which is used by them. The 3GPP working groups are, among other things, responsible for the specifications of the network protocols and the infrastructure of 2G - 5G networks (M2M, LTE M, NB-IOT).

HSUPA stands for High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access. The download speeds increased rapidly, but the upload lagged behind, the upload at HSDPA is 125 KB/s. That is why the HSUPA standard has been designed, which is also an extension of 3G. In this standard, the maximum upload has been increased to 720 KB/s. 3G networks are still offered within the M2M service.

HSDPA or High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access is an extension to 3G. It is also called 3.5G. HSDPA is a communication service with a transmission speed of up to at least 10 times the UMTS speed of 384 KB/s. 3G networks are still offered within the M2M service.