In this article, we will learn about how to use LoRa and LoRaWAN with Arduino and Raspberry Pi! This blog will cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- What is LoRa and LoRaWAN?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa vs LoRaWAN – What is the difference?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Why use LoRa and LoRaWAN Technology?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choosing a LoRa Development Platform<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tutorial: Getting Started with LoRa on Arduino <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tutorial: LoRaWAN with Raspberry Pi and Arduino<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.seeedstudio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/image-79.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBefore we begin…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThis article is one of many extensive blog posts that we’ve written on LoRa & LoRaWAN! Each of them is focused on a specific topic and is specially intended to help you better understand the two, so be sure to check them for a comprehensive insight!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- A Gentle Introduction to LoRaWAN Gateways & Nodes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRaWAN Gateways \u2013 What You Need to Know!<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What is Peer-To-Peer (P2P) LR Communication?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Enhance LR Communication with a LR Antenna!<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa & LoRaWAN: Vertical Solutions for the Real World<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create your own low-code IoT Application with SenseCAP LoRaWAN Devices on Datacake!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat is LR and LoRaWAN?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nShort for Lo<\/strong>ng Ra<\/strong>nge, LoRa is a spread spectrum modulation technique derived from chirp spread spectrum technology. It features long-range, low-power, and secure data transmission for your IoT applications. For example, they can be used to connect sensors, gateways, machines, devices, and even people wirelessly to the cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LR operates in various frequency bands which range depending on the region. For example, the US operates in the 915 MHz band, Asia operates in the 865 to 867 MHz and 920 to 923 MHz band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRaWAN<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRaWAN is a L<\/strong>ow P<\/strong>ower, W<\/strong>ide-A<\/strong>rea (LPWA) networking protocol that wirelessly connects battery-operated devices in a regional, national, or global network. Specifically, it targets IoT needs like secure bi-directional communication, mobility, and localization services by leveraging on unlicensed radio spectrum in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.digikey.com\/-\/media\/MakerIO\/Images\/blogs\/introduction-to-lora-technology\/introduction-to-lora-technology-figure-1.jpg?ts=21c2c3bb-0661-415b-b58e-c4f12837e104\")
Source: DigiKey<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nThe network architecture of LoRaWAN is laid out in a star-of-stars topology where LoRaWAN Gateways<\/strong> act as transparent bridges that relay messages between End Nodes<\/strong> and a Central Network Server<\/strong> in the back end as seen in the image above. Gateways are connected to a network server via a Standard IP connection and end devices use single-hop wireless communication with one or many gateways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRa vs LoRaWAN – What is the difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhile LoRa & LoRaWAN are commonly mistaken to be the same thing, they represent different components of a LoRa-based communication system that serve distinct functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LoRa is a radio frequency carrier signal based on the physical (PHY) layer that converts the data it receives to signals through modulation. On the other hand, LoRaWAN is a protocol located in the Media Access Control (MAC) layer that promotes LR signals to wider applications, designed for large-scale public networks with a single operator. LoRaWAN can also work in different frequencies by just connecting the right antenna to its socket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSource: Semtech<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nIn simple terms, you can understand LR to be a type of hardware<\/strong> that supports long-range wireless communication, whereas LoRaWAN refers to a network protocol<\/strong> based on LR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhy use LoRa and LoRaWAN Technologies? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThere are several advantages of using LoRa and LoRaWAN technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLong Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRa enables wireless communication over far longer ranges compared to Wi-Fi or BLE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLow Power <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nCompared to WiFi, BLE or Satellite Communication, devices in a LoRa network consume relatively little power. This allows them to run on renewable energy (eg. Solar power), and reduces battery replacement costs. Edge nodes can run on a single battery for up to years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSecure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRaWAN networks are protected by end-to-end AES128 encryption, mutual authentication, integrity protection, and confidentiality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nStandardized<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRa & LoRaWAN are widely accepted technologies and protocols, allowing you to capitalize on device interoperability and global availability of LoRaWAN networks for rapid and convenient deployment of IoT applications anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLow Cost<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRa operates on unlicensed frequency spectrums, which reduces fees for network operations. In addition, a wide variety of pre-licensed LoRa development platforms reduces legislative costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nFlexible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nLoRa & LoRaWAN combine the best of other technologies and can be used in a variety of environments and networks. Like Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN operates in the unlicensed band and supports indoor applications; like Cellular, LoRa Technology is highly secure from end devices to the application server, and is suitable for outdoor applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nChoosing a LoRa Development Platform<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nAt this point, you might be wondering how you can get your hands on LoRa & LoRaWAN for building your own IoT projects. Well. you’ll be glad to know that Seeed offers a variety of LoRa development platforms for every purpose, especially our latest LoRa solutions<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn this section, I’ll be sharing my top product recommendations for getting started with LoRa & LoRaWAN!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWio E5 Development Kit<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Wio E5 Development Kit consists of the Wio E5 Development board, an antenna, a USB Type C Cable and a 2*AA 3V Battery Holder. The Wio E5 Dev Board is embedded with the Wio E5 STM32WLE5JC module with LoRaWAN protocol compatibility on the global frequency band. In addition, it supports various data protocols and interfaces, such as full GPIOs, RS-485 and Grove!<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Product Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Ultra-low power consumption and high performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Easy testing and rapid prototyping<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Full GPIOs that lead out to rich interfaces, including RS-485, Grove, and etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Global LoRaWAN\u00ae and LR frequency plan supported<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Long-distance transmission range to 10km (ideal value in open area)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re keen to pick up the Wio E5 Development Kit, visit the Seeed Online Store<\/a> now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nGrove \u2013 Wio E5 (STM32WLE5JC)<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIf you want to use LoRa with an SBCs like the popular Raspberry Pi 4<\/a>, or an Arduino microcontroller like the Wio Terminal<\/a>, the Wio E5 Grove module will be your best bet. Featuring full LoRaWAN capabilities in the modular simplicity of the Grove ecosystem<\/a>, the Grove Wio E5 lets you bring your existing devices into your LoRaWAN network with just a few simple steps!<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Core Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Wio E5 (STM32WLE5JC) embedded<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Support LoRaWAN protocol on EU868\/US915 frequency band<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ultra-long transmitting range up to 10km (Ideal value in open space)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Easy control by AT command via UART connection<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Rapid prototyping with plug-and-play Grove interfaces<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ultra-low power consumption and high performance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Visit the Seeed Online Store<\/a> to learn more about the Grove Wio E5 Module today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWio-E5 & Wio-E5-LE (STM32WLE5JC) LoRa Module<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those who want to custom design your LoRa-powered PCBAs, I highly recommend checking out our STM32WLE5JC-powered LoRa modules: the Wio-E5 and Wio-E5-LE, which are the world-first combo of LoRa RF and MCU integrated in one single tiny module! Coming with CE, FCC, TELEC certifications, and built-in AT Command, these two modules are production-ready to scale up your LoRa products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media-cdn.seeedstudio.com\/media\/catalog\/product\/cache\/bb49d3ec4ee05b6f018e93f896b8a25d\/1\/-\/1-114993121-wio-e5-le-hf-45font_1__1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHighlight features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- STMicroelectronics’ STM32WLE5JC embedded<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Built-in AT command & ST SDK for further development<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ultra-low power consumption down to 26 mA In transmit mode<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Equipped with a variety of GPIO interfaces (UART, I2C, and ADC) for peripherals expansion<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ultra-long transmitting range up to 10km (Ideal value in open space)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Visit the Seeed Online Store<\/a> to learn more about the Wio-E5 LoRa Module today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nNote:<\/strong> A full LoRa system will require four key components: End nodes, gateway, network serve and application server. For our full list of products for each category, please visit their corresponding links!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- LoRa Modules<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa Dev Boards & Dev Kits<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa Sensor Nodes<\/a> (Devices)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa Gateways<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa Accessories<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Industrial-grade LoRaWAN Products for Outdoor Applications<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTutorial: Getting Started with LoRa on Arduino<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWith this tutorial, I’d like to show you how to easily create low-power yet powerful applications in your smart home or IoT projects!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: <\/strong>LoRa is not suitable for projects that require large amounts of data to be transmitted at high rates.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use LR in two ways: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Point-to-point communication <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Network (Building a LoRa network using LoRaWAN) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In today’s tutorial, we will be setting up our Edge Node with our XIAO SAMD21 and Grove DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Sensor to send data to our server on The Things Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113020091\/WechatIMG647.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nRequired Materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Seeed Studio XIAO SAMD21<\/a> SAM (Fully Arduino Compatible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- XIAO Expansion Board<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Grove – Wio-E5 (STM32WLE5JC), EU868\/US915, LoRaWAN supported<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Grove – DHT11 Temperature & Humidity Sensor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHardware Connection<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nStep 1:<\/strong> Connect the Wio-E5 module directly to the “UART” slot of the Expansion Board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 2:<\/strong> Connect the DHT11 into the “A0\/D0” socket as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.seeedstudio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/P2P-1030x645.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSoftware Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIf this is the first time you work with Arduino, we strongly recommend you to see Getting Started with Arduino<\/a> before the start. Click to learn details about how to install an Arduino Library<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nStep 1:<\/strong> Install the u8g2 library<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n - XIAO Expansion Board<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Seeed Studio XIAO SAMD21<\/a> SAM (Fully Arduino Compatible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa Dev Boards & Dev Kits<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRa Modules<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- LoRaWAN Gateways \u2013 What You Need to Know!<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A Gentle Introduction to LoRaWAN Gateways & Nodes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/7zTTmoBDI1KTO0pnkrUxNCBAd1c7szVLpJyo1tq6GkvSUym2aAI_mT_N1W1RMgmI9M5qq_Kg71ZdPqe_-o-u2qSKBESdFmUDAdinzlM0zl2_oPs1kO1jYLWWDBWLtUF1b4tsnAm3\")
![\"2.1\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113990896\/wiki\/s2.1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"3.5\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113990896\/wiki\/s3.5.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"3.1\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113020091\/decoding%20script.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"3.10\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113020091\/Screen%20Shot%202021-03-09%20at%203.19.22%20PM.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"3.10\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113020091\/Screen%20Shot%202021-03-09%20at%203.19.29%20PM.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"3.10\"](\"https:\/\/files.seeedstudio.com\/products\/113020091\/Screen%20Shot%202021-03-09%20at%203.19.35%20PM.png\")
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