LoRa and LoRaWAN
LoRa (Long Range) is a wireless technology specifically developed for transmitting small amounts of data over long distances with low power consumption. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is the protocol that utilizes LoRa and manages the communication between the sensors and the network gateways. This protocol ensures secure and reliable data transmission with end-to-end encryption. LoRaWAN networks are designed to be easily scalable, making them ideal for large-scale IoT implementations.
We are happy to tell you more about the technology and benefits of LoRa. Contact us, and we would be happy to visit you on-site to tell you more about RecraPlan's innovative solutions and LoRa.
Types of LoRa sensors at RecraPlan
At RecraPlan, we use two types of LoRa sensors: Class A and Class C.
1. Class A sensors
These sensors can only send data from the sensor to the gateway; there is no communication back. They are set up to periodically send data or when an anomaly occurs. Between these intervals, the sensors 'sleep' to save energy. For example, a temperature sensor that sends temperature data every 10 minutes. During these intervals, the sensor consumes very little energy, allowing it to often operate on a battery that lasts up to 10 years. The battery life can be further optimized by adjusting the transmission interval, for instance, every 30 minutes instead of every 10 minutes.
2. Class C sensors
These sensors are always on, allowing commands to be given directly from the RecraPlan server, such as turning power on or off. Although these sensors consume more power because they are always active, they offer the possibility to remotely issue commands. Depending on the specific requirements of a project, we determine which LoRa sensors are most suitable.
Difference between WiFi and LoRa
An important difference between WiFi and LoRa is the distance over which communication can occur. LoRa can transmit data over several kilometers, while WiFi is limited to a few meters. Additionally, a WiFi device uses much more energy, making it difficult to offer a battery solution. LoRa signals can also penetrate walls and other obstacles more easily. For a customer, for instance, we have water meters that are placed underground and can still communicate perfectly with a gateway that is several hundred meters away. A disadvantage of LoRa is that it can only send small data packets, which is usually not a problem for sensors transmitting meter readings, temperature values, etc., but poses a limitation for sending large files such as photos or videos.
Advantages of LoRa at RecraPlan
At RecraPlan, we fully embrace LoRa technology due to its scalability and reliability. A standard RecraPlan LoRa gateway can read up to 2000 sensors. Pairing a sensor is simple: all you need are the security keys of the sensor. These unique keys are entered into the system once, after which the sensor is immediately connected. Thanks to these security keys, all data is heavily encrypted, ensuring a secure means of communication. Therefore, LoRa is also widely used in industrial environments.