The LoRaWAN Server application is a packaged Chirpstack server offering connectivity for LoRa
devices.
LoRaWAN is a wireless communication protocol that uses LoRa, a proprietary radio modulation
technique, to connect low-power devices to the internet over long distances. It is ideally suited for low volume and low velocity data i.e., infrequent measurements. This LoRaWAN server application uses Chirpstack server.
Chirpstack is an open source LoRaWAN technology stack that offers the following benefits:
Private LoRaWAN Network
Data encryption and device management
Multi-Tenant / Application architecture
No limits on the number of messages that can be transmitted / processed.
Scalability (no limit on gateways / devices)
Request a download link to receive a pre-packaged, deployment ready application.
Features / Benefits:
In the industrial context often, a parameter does not have a direct impact on the operation of a process but is vital for its optimum performance. Such parameters are often measured manually which can be labor intensive depending on the number of measurement points, for example filters blockages, water quality, pipework pressure etc.
Another common use case is where the desired end effect of a process is located far from the actual equipment controlling it, for example a boiler installed in one part of a building supplying hot water to a process located in a different part. In such cases installing a sensor at the location of interest and wiring it back to the control system for the boiler would be cost-prohibitive.
LoRaWAN is also ideally suited for infrequent measurement on assets that do not belong to a single control system (making data aggregation difficult). Using LoRaWAN devices the data from all the assets, for example power consumption, current, voltages can be collected at a single point.
LoRaWAN is suited for such application, due to the low power and long-range nature of the protocol. The sensors can be installed with batteries and require minimal infrastructure in the form of a LoRaWAN gateway to serve as the bridge between LoRa devices and the Industrial internet. Depending on the frequency of measurement a device can operate for years without the need for a battery replacement.