Smart Water Metering & LoRa WAN

#News(IoTStack) [ via IoTForIndiaGroup ]

What is LoRaWAN?
LoRaWAN is a wireless technology enabling the connectivity of a wide range of sensors, meters, and other devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT). It enables the wireless connectivity of devices where there is a need to send relatively small amounts of data over distances up to 10 or more kilometres while consuming very little power. This includes devices such as GPS trackers, parking sensors, street lights, water meters, and many more. LoRaWAN fits into the rapidly growing category of technologies known as Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN).

Bi-directional Communications
LoRaWAN offers bi-directional communication so that messages can be sent both as an uplink from a device to a gateway to a server, and also as a downlink from a server to a gateway to a device

Signal Penetration
Through use of relatively low frequencies, high link budget, and low path loss, LoRaWAN is well suited to transmitting messages through obstructions such as concrete walls and metal pit lids. This makes it excellent for smart water metering where meters are often located in challenging locations such as underground car parks, basements, and underground pits.

Specific to smart water metering, LoRaWAN devices are either, retro-fit devices with external sensors, or integrated digital water meters.

Spreading Factor and Adaptive Data Rate

When LoRaWAN devices are further from a gateway, they can increase their spreading factor and therefor also decrease their data rate. They can do this autonomously using a feature called Adaptive Data Rate (ADR). The lowest spreading factor (SF7) uses the highest data rate (DR5) and the highest spreading factor (SF12) uses the lowest data rate (DR0).

Read More..