4 Places to find LoRaWAN technology including PCB Carolina 2022!

We’re excited that our partner MultiTech Systems will be exhibiting with us and presenting a technical seminar at PCB Carolina 2022. PCB Carolina will take place November 9 at the McKimmon Center on the campus of NC State University in Raleigh, NC. Lino Osegueda, MultiTech National Sales Manager will present “LoRa 101 - A Technical Introduction” at 3:30pm in Room 5. Registration for PCB Carolina is free, and breakfast, lunch, evening reception, and door prizes are included! Learn more about PCB Carolina and Lino’s presentation.

What is LoRaWAN? What are the advantages of LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN is a Low-Power Wide-Area networking (LPWAN) protocol that wirelessly connects sensors and end-nodes to the Internet. It is ideal for connecting simple battery-operated sensors that transmit small amounts of data infrequently or sporadically to internet connected applications.

LoRaWAN has rapidly gained popularity for IoT connectivity because of the many advantages of a LoRaWAN Network.

• • Remarkably Long Range - up to 10 miles line of sight. Ideal for geographically scattered sensors.
• • Exceptional Penetration that can cover multi-floor buildings. Ideal for buildings with lots of rebar and concrete that impede wireless signal.
• • Low Power radios so that LoRa end nodes and sensors can survive in the field for many years on a single battery.
• • Lowered Cost for Networking as one LoRaWAN gateway can communicate with thousands of sensors and there are no subscription fees, no licensing fees, and no ongoing data charges.

 

Where will you find LoRaWAN in action?

Smart Cities

Smart cities collect real-time data from vast networks of sensors and smart meters, analyze the data, and respond dynamically to improve the experiences of residents and visitors, optimize the use of resources, and reduce operational costs. 

LoRaWAN wireless technology is an outstanding IoT solution for smart cities. LoRaWAN end nodes can be integrated into infrastructure across a city to generate data about lighting of city streets and sidewalks, how full trash cans are, numbers of cars moving through a particular intersection, air quality, and even leaks in a municipal water system. MultiTech LoRaWAN Conduit Gateways can receive data from thousands of scattered sensors, and transmit that information to the cloud via WiFi or cellular connectivity. And the ruggedized MultiTech Conduit IP67 can be mounted outside with no additional protection from the elements. 

This MultiTech application story

about a smart parking system paints a fantastic picture of how beneficial LoRaWAN networks can be for humans. If you have ever driven around a city hoping to find a parking spot, or been baffled by your payment options once you found it, you will cheer for the simplicity of the parking system that the City of Huntington Park successfully implemented. 

Smart Buildings

Smart buildings collect all kinds of data about temperature, occupancy, energy and water use, air quality, and leaks, so that building managers can improve the experience of the people in the building, improve energy efficiency, conserve water, and monitor and maintain equipment.

LoRaWAN, with its impressive in-building penetration, is an ideal IoT solution for connecting all these sensors. This Smart building infographic published by the LoRa Alliance provides an easy-to-understand illustration of the variety of things that can be monitored with LoRaWAN.

In this MultiTech application story, a large hospital leverages LoRaWAN technology to reduce its carbon footprint. Networking meters and sensors across a 2 million square foot site that is a bustling patient-care facility is a massive challenge! One powerful MultiTech Conduit gathers data from hundreds of environmental sensors and transmits to the data management program.

Smart Bathrooms

Even public restrooms can benefit from IoT connectivity to save water and electricity, and guarantee a pleasant experience for users. Imagine that a toilet could be flushed from a remote location, or that a maintenance person could be alerted when a toilet was backed-up or a trash can was full. This article gives us hope for the future of public restrooms!

That is only a fraction of the fun application stories about LoRaWAN that are available! Any “thing” can be made IoT ready with a LoRaWAN sensor, and once you can monitor/track that “thing”, you can move quickly to respond to the data it is providing. We'll share more LoRaWAN applications stories in a future blog. In the meantime, keep an eye on our home page and our social media feeds for our Products-of-the-Day and more blog posts!