[chbot] [random, but interesting (RBI)] LoraWAN: Extremely long range, low power wireless communication

[Stephen Irons]

In case you want to play around with LoRaWAN, https://pycom.io/ sell 
the 'LoPy', which gives you a LoRa modem and an ESP32 processor, with a 
MicroPython interpreter. So you write your application in MicroPython 
(Python3, almost the complete language, but with only a limited set of 
libraries), and you have LoRa, LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 
connectivity, with rapidly improving libraries for using the ESP32 
hardware devices for SPI, I2C, PWM, etc.

We developed a system for a client using the LoRa modem (the 
spread-spectrum modulation) for short-ish-range communication through 
bush, where its performance at low signal levels works well for us. We 
do not use the whole LoRaWAN stack, as there is no LoRaWAN 
infrastructure in our client's trial areas (remote Marlborough Sounds 
and Haast), though Telecom was happy to set up a trial network for us 
to test. It all worked fine, but battery life of the base station was 
an issue; we needed a solar panel to provide enough power, and we have 
had bad experiences with solar panels in the bush, where dead leaves 
and general muck block the panel. So we would also need a mast to get 
the panel above dead-leaf level. Instead, we install large Lithium 
primary cells which give well over a year's operation.

Stephen

On Sun, 7 Jan, 2018 at 7:02 AM, Mark Atherton <markaren1 at xtra.co.nz> 
wrote:
> Just been digging through Youtube and found some random but 
> interesting projects/tutorials.
> 
> Will post each as a separate subject.
> 
> LoraWAN: Extremely long range, low power wireless communication 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n8t62anxIQ
> 
> also https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7_D0o48KbfhpEohoP7YSQ/videos
> 
> HNY, Mark
> 
> 
> 
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