1LPWA definition
LPWA-LowPowerWideArea, abbreviation of low-power wide area technology, realizing long-distance wireless signal transmission using lower power consumption. Compared to the familiar low-power Bluetooth (BLE), ZigBee and WiFi and other technologies, LPWA's transmission distance is farther, generally in kilometers, link budgets can reach 160 dBm, while Ble and Zigbee, etc. are generally below 100dBm or less. . Compared to traditional honeycomb network technologies (2G, 3G), LPWA has lower power consumption, and battery-powered equipment has reached several years. Based on both significant features, LPWA can truly enable Internet, help and lead the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution.
LPWAN-LOWPOWIDEAREANETWORK, low-power WAN, that is, wireless connection networks built with LPWA technology. LPWAN's network connection form can be varied, typically topologies as shown in Figure 1, with data upload (DataUplink) as an example, wireless terminal sends data signals, base stations, or gateways to receive and transmit data to cloud platform, and cloud platforms according to equipment The ID distributes data to the corresponding customer server. For private LPWAN networks, clouds and customer servers can be integrated.
Figure 1 Typical LPWA network connection
2LPWA characteristics
LPWA has the following technical features for the needs of Internet applications:
Low power consumption
General Internet of Things equipment cannot use power supply directly, battery life is the primary consideration, and LPWA optimizes this, so that the battery-powered equipment can be used for several years. For example, a terminal device using SIGFOX technology can be used with a AA battery to reach about 10 years.
Far away
Indoor or short-range Internet of Things can use wireless technology such as low-power blue tooth, ZigBee, LPWA is targeted for outdoor or long-distance wireless connection requirements, the transmission rate requires low, so the transmission distance is further, at least in kilometers . SIGFOX uses ultra-narrow strips for data transfer, and selects a lower transmission rate, so that the link budget between the device and the base station can reach 160 dBm, and the signal transmission distance of the air area can reach tens of kilometers.
Low cost
The popularity of new technologies has continued to decrease, and lower costs can make technical applications in more areas, especially for price-sensitive applications. The radio frequency module for the LPWA terminal device, with the promotion of technology maturity, the spread of the application, the increase in equipment connection, the general price is perillance below 5 dollars. The SIGFOX technology has already fully reached the maturity of commercialization. The price of the terminal module can even reach 2 US dollars, and it plays an important role in the popularization of technology.
Large capacity
The traditional wireless cellular network primary connection object is a person, the connection object of the Internet of Things is a thing, and the number of things will be far more than the number of people, which requires a greater capacity of the LPWA network to avoid crowding and equipment of the network. Interference between. SIGFOX network single base station can process millions of device messages per day, you can receive and process close 300 messages, while the packet loss rate is only 0.5%, ensuring high network service quality (QoS).
In addition to the above significant technical features, LPWAs, there is usually low rate, high delay.
Figure 2LPWA technical characteristics comparison
3LPWA application scenario
LPWA technology can be used in many Internet of INT applications, realizing digital and intelligence of industries, further improving efficiency and cost savings, promoting overall social labor productivity.
Its typical application scenario is:
Logistics positioning and tracking - real-time newspapers and status information
Asset Management - Asset Positioning, Inventory Status Report
Intelligent meter reading - instrument figures and state report
Smart city - lighting, transportation, basic implementation of intelligence, smart parking, etc.
Intelligent agriculture - livestock tracking management, soil testing, intelligent irrigation, etc.
Environment / public-disaster testing, smoke, air pollution, equipment, old man's care, etc.
Smart Family - Smart Home Appliances, Home Security System, Status Test, etc.
4 Typical LPWA technology
The LPWA can be divided into two types of technologies and common frequency bands according to the nature classification of wireless spectrum.
Typical SIGFOX and LORA are typical, using public ISM bands, there is no need to pay spectrum costs, but there is still a standard for spectrum for spectrum, ensuring that different technologies can be compatible with each other, similar to Ble and WiFi.
The license band is Cellular-IoT (C-IoT) technology, using government-authorized specific special wireless bands, requires spectral fees, traditional telecom operators, deploy and operate networks, technical specifications based on cellular network technology, and 3GPP To dominate the distribution.
4.1
SIGFOX
SIGFOX technology is designed and developed by the same name. Founded in 2010, it was the earliest old LPWA player. Its technology maturity is the highest. As of 2019, it has been commercialized in more than 60 countries in 2019. SIGFOX uses 100 Hz ultra-narrowband spectrum modulation and transmission data messages in public frequency bands, so the unit frequency band has a higher power density, and the anti-interference ability is more resistant, suitable for data transmission using a common frequency band.
SIGFOX provides a complete network solution, including base stations and clouds, seeking and relying on local partners to carry out network deployment and operations around the world, SIGFOX provides network equipment and technical support services. Terminal devices are open ecosystems, any RF module or chip that supports the SIGFOX protocol, can connect SIGFOX's network. For terminal device manufacturers, there can be a bigger selection space, and more favorable price options. Relying on a powerful global ecosystem, SIGFOX users can get an overall solution of end-to-end (terminal to the cloud), allowing their products to quickly connect to the SIGFOX network, and push the market.
Because the SIGFOX network is dominated by SIGFOX, it is possible to maximize the unity and stability of network service quality, that is, a network of networks. User equipment can enjoy transnational convenience, no roaming services, It can be connected to the same quality network, which is especially attractive for applications such as logistics or cross-border operation.
4.2
Lora
LORA is a proprietary technology of US Semtech, is actually a wireless modulation and demodulation technology using spread spectrum scheme. Semtech has obtained LORA IP property rights through M & A French Cycleo, in 2012, with this design to manufacture radio frequency chips and market sales, is a pure semiconductor company, monopolizing LORA chip supply. At present, Although Semtech also conducts a small amount of LORA IP authorization, such as domestic Ali, IP is Semtech, and no company cannot design the LORA chip, so the customer's choice is small.
LORA is also used in public frequency bands for RF signal transmission, upper protocols and specifications by Lorawan definitions, LORA alliances are responsible for publishing and maintenance. Anyone can purchase the LORA chip or module to design LORA terminals and gateway devices, or design or purchase equipment to build LORA networks, so most LORA networks are currently small areas and private, rarely national universal Network, and compatibility between devices and networks is also a big challenge.
LORA achieves high sensitivity through spreading techniques, so that long-range transmission, but network capacity is limited, and it is impossible to efficiently realize parallel reception and processing of large-volume equipment information, which is a huge challenge for large or national deployment.
4.3
Cellular-Iot
At present, mainstream Cellular-IoT (C-IoT) technology refers to NB-IOT and LTE-M, which is based on traditional cellular network technology, cropping and optimizing the low-cost low power applications for foundations. The technical specification is defined and distributed by 3GPP, based on proprietary license spectrum, network deployment and operation of traditional telecom operators.
Because C-IoT is based on traditional cellular network technology, the technical complexity and corresponding cost power consumption, similar to 3G / 4G, etc., similar to 3G / 4G, etc., similar to 3G / 4G, etc. compared to SIGFOX, etc. Need to connect and attach the base station, the protocol handshake and network parameter configuration, and the SIGFOX terminal device and the base station do not have any dependencies, the autonomy is higher, power consumables. In addition, because of the attachment to the base station, Nb-Io is actually only applicable to application scenarios fixed to the device location.
A global perspective, the C-IoT network has dispersion properties, and each operator can only deploy operations in the country or region, and the parameters of different networks are different. Taking the NB-IoT network as an example, there are a total of more than ten bands, different countries or regions that can be used in use, which is a higher cost and technical challenge for terminal devices. The quality of service quality of different networks cannot be unified and guaranteed, and the switch between networks also requires high roaming fees, and the NB-IoT network does not support roaming.
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