What is LoRa®, what is LoRaWAN®?
Irrigation with LoRaWAN®
LoRa® is a radio technology that ensures the correct signal transmission of bits and bytes via radio. LoRaWAN® (Long Range Wide Area Network) builds on LoRa® and defines the rules for data content, encryption, and network functions.
The great advantage of LoRa® is data transmission over long distances (>10km) with very low transmission power and energy consumption. The disadvantage is the limited amount of data that can be transmitted. Transmission of image or voice data via LoRaWAN® is not possible. But it is optimally suited for sensors and actuators, which are summarized under terms like Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Cities, or Industry 4.0. Many municipalities, for example, use LoRaWAN® technology for smart meters for energy billing.
The underlying LoRa® radio technology was developed by Semtech, the open network protocol LoRaWAN® is maintained by the LoRa Alliance, which includes numerous public organizations, universities, and companies such as Siemens, IBM, ST Micro, Amazon, and many smaller companies.
The LoRaWAN® rules are published in standards. Confusingly, there are 2 current standards. In October 2020, the LoRaWAN® Standard 1.0.4 was published. Already in 2017, the Standard 1.1 was released, which is not fully backward compatible with the 1.0.x series, supports additional security features, but has not found wide adoption. All MIYO devices support Standard 1.0.4 because this is the most widespread version and does not contain the extensive overhead of version 1.1.
LoRaWAN installations exist in all sizes, from very small to very large. In the simplest case, you only operate the end devices themselves and use the network infrastructure of open or commercial LoRaWAN® providers, of which there are already many worldwide.
How does LoRaWAN work?
A LoRaWAN® network consists of four main components:
- End devices (Nodes): For example, sensors that detect temperature, humidity, or movement. To join a specific network, the end devices must be registered in that network with their unique identifier (DevEUI - 64 bit). This is called joining. For encryption, there is also an APPKey (128 bit). The initial APPKey is stored in the device and is required during joining in addition to the DevEUI. The APPKey is periodically renegotiated between the network server and the end device. The devices only "report" when they have something to communicate – this saves energy. To prevent network overload, radio traffic is limited by the duty cycle. In Europe, this is a maximum of 1% transmission time (36 seconds per hour), while in the USA and Canada it is higher.
- Gateways: These receive the radio signals from the end devices and forward them via the internet to a network server.
- Network server: Here, the data from registered devices is filtered. All other LoRa signals are discarded. The network server decrypts the data, coordinates data processing, and communicates with application servers and gateways.
- Application server: stores the data and makes it accessible.
Simple and powerful with its own LoRaWAN® Gateway
MIYO with its own gateway
With your own gateway, the system setup is very similar to the classic MIYO Cube series. The Cube is simply replaced by the gateway. Network and application servers are integrated into the MIYO Cloud.
In principle, any gateway is suitable. It just needs to be ensured that the gateway supports the radio frequency of the region.
MIYO recommends the SenseCAP M2 from Seeed Studio. The connection to the MIYO Cloud is made with 2 simple entries. From then on, the usual MIYO convenience is available. Devices are added by simply scanning the serial number, and the garden and irrigation configuration is done via the MIYO app.
Anyone who wants can also make their gateway "public" and thus make it available to other users within radio range.
What is The Things Network?
The Things Network (TTN) is an open, community-based LoRaWAN network that was launched in Amsterdam in 2015 – with the vision of making a free IoT network available to everyone. Today, there are thousands of gateways worldwide operated by individuals, companies, and municipalities. Currently, there are installations in 153 countries.
Features of TTN:
• Free use for non-commercial projects
• Strong community, global reach
• Integration of many data protocols
• Web interface and API for easy management
MIYO installation with The Things Network (TTN)
A prerequisite for use is the availability of a LoRaWAN gateway within a radius of up to 10 km from the location of the devices. In the simplest case, existing gateways such as those from TTN are used. Alternatively, you can deploy your own gateways.
The installation of MIYO Sensor and valves is done like with the Cube system in the MIYO app and is just as easy and convenient. Scan the QR code, MIYO handles the network registration, and the devices are integrated into the app. Mixed installations and irrigation circuits are also possible. The only noticeable difference is that the LoRaWAN® end devices have longer reporting intervals due to the duty cycle limitation. Approximately every 5 minutes, the Sensor transmits data or the valves can be switched.
For professionals
Expansion possibilities for LoRaWAN installations are diverse.
Those who want to take a step further can also operate a server. With ChirpStack and LORIOT, there is open source software for a private network server. The software from TTN is also freely available for private installations. The most widely used commercial LoRaWAN® server platform is Thingpark (by Agility).
If you have questions about installation, the MIYO Support team is happy to help at support@miyo.garden
Trademarks:
LoRa® is a registered trademark of Semtech Corporation
LoRaWAN® is a registered trademark of the LoRa Alliance
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about LoRaWAN Installation
What are the requirements for operating a MIYO irrigation system with LoRaWAN?
If you do not want to operate your own gateway, the only requirement is the availability of a LoRaWAN network.
An own gateway can be set up quickly with basic technical knowledge.
And of course, the valves require a water connection. Since the energy is generated by solar charging, no additional connections are needed.
Is it difficult to set up a MIYO LoRaWAN system?
No, setting up your own gateway is easier than, for example, configuring a WLAN router.
Alternatively, integration into an available network is also easily done with just a few entries. The TTN integration is done entirely from the MIYO App and requires no technical knowledge. The detailed control of the irrigation is then done via the MIYO App. In Austria, the network from Drei is currently also directly supported.
All other LoRaWAN networks work just as well, only a few parameters need to be entered manually. Installation help is available from MIYO Support at support@miyo.garden
Can I use MIYO Cube devices and MIYO LoRaWAN devices in one garden?
Yes, both series can be seamlessly controlled via the app.
Further questions?
Contact us. We are happy to help.
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