Choosing the Right LoRaWAN® Gateway For Your Application

LoRaWAN® is an openly available wireless protocol that sits on top of LoRa®, one of the leading emerging standards for supporting long-range wireless sensor technology.

LoRa uses a proprietary modulation scheme developed by Semtech called chirp spread spectrum that is resistant to multi-path fading. The standard runs at 915MHz in the US, an uncommonly used band for connecting wireless devices. As a result, LoRa devices don’t have to compete for airtime with 2.4GHz devices and, instead, enjoy excellent link margins over long distances. LoRa devices can communicate across many miles in open air environments and cut through noisy environments well.

In LoRa networks, wireless sensors and devices connect to the internet or local networks through public base stations. Solution providers can also set up private LoRaWAN gateways in areas with limited cell tower coverage. Often times, it is the end user or solution provider that deploys these private LoRaWAN gateways. Compared to Sigfox, another leading LPWAN protocol, LoRaWAN can transfer larger data loads and support more devices simultaneously.

Providers do not have to pay monthly fees to support wireless devices on a private LoRaWAN network. However, they do need to purchase gateways should they want to expand coverage. Fortunately, it is easy to manage multiple LoRaWAN gateways simultaneously and set up private networks.

There are several leading manufacturers of LoRaWAN gateways but the leader is MultiTech:

MultiTech

MultiTech is a Minnesota-based designer, developer, and manufacturer of industrial IoT equipment. The company has been in operation for over 50 years and is focused on helping organizations deploy global IoT applications that enhance core processes. Currently, there are more than 22 million MultiTech products supporting businesses all over the world.

The enterprise’s catalog includes a portfolio of products that are designed specifically for LoRaWAN. Solution providers can purchase MultiTech gateways, modems, and end nodes through the company’s worldwide network of resellers and distributors.

On the gateway front, the company has five different products:

MultiTech Conduit® 300 Series programmable gateway (MTCDT3AC Series) features mPower™ Edge Intelligence enables streamlined edge-to-cloud orchestration, management and analytics together with a high performance, secure processor to support Dockers and containers for easy programmability and built-in compatibility with leading IoT software platforms.

The MultiTech Conduit is a scalable, quick deployment gateway designed for indoor industrial applications. The gateway is highly configurable with MultiTech’s cloud-based DeviceHQ® IoT Device Management platform. Network engineers can easily manage, customize, and deploy their LoRaWAN gateways with zero touch provisioning. The Conduit also comes with two accessory card slots so that users can connect a multitude of assets to the gateways on their preferred interfaces.

The MultiTech Conduit IP67  and 200 Series is more durable than the basic Conduit gateway and, thus, is better for outdoor settings. The device can withstand harsh environmental conditions, including those involving moisture, dust, snow, and heat. Overall, the Conduit IP67 gateway can support thousands of sensors simultaneously and be deployed on individual stands or existing telecommunications towers.

The MultiTech Conduit AP gateway is intended for solution providers that want to extend their LoRa networks to remote and isolated areas in a cost-effective manner. The AP gateway can forward user data packets between network servers and LoRa end nodes in areas where in-building penetration is challenging or coverage is weak. With the Conduit AP gateway, network engineers have a lower-cost solution that enables many LoRa applications that were previously financially viable.

To learn more about all three of MultiTech’s LoRaWAN gateways, click here.

Easily Deploy Wireless Sensors Using LoRaWAN Gateways With Radio Bridge, A MultiTech Brand.

Radio Bridge designs and manufactures wireless sensors that can integrate with any LoRaWAN gateway. Regardless of which manufacturer and gateway you choose, our team can help you enable your IoT application on any LoRa network, no matter the complexity.

Using our free, web-based Device Management Console, easily provision, monitor, and configure all of your LoRaWAN wireless sensors in one place. We are also happy to work with you to custom design a seamless sensor-to-cloud solution for your specific application.

To learn more about how we help global enterprises deploy wireless sensors on LoRa networks, contact our team today.