Microchip Announces Its IOT Solution For LoRa Technology Network

Microchip Technology Inc has announced the first in a series of modules for the LoRa technology low-data-rate wireless networking standard. The new modules enable Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) wireless communication with a range of more than 10 miles (suburban), a battery life of greater than 10 years, and the ability to connect millions of wireless sensor nodes to LoRa technology gateways.

LoRa technology has several advantages over other wireless systems. It utilises a spread-spectrum base modulation that is capable of demodulation with a 20 dB below noise level. This enables high sensitivity with robust network links, improves network efficiency and eliminates interference.

The 433/868 MHz RN2483 is a European R&TTE Directive Assessed Radio Module, accelerating development time while reducing development costs.

“The RN2483 module is a revolutionary end-node IoT solution for the new LoRa technology network, enabling extremely long-range, bidirectional communication with significant battery life,” said Steve Caldwell, VP, Microchip’s Wireless Products Division.

The RN2483 comes with the LoRaWAN protocol stack, so it can easily connect with the established and rapidly expanding LoRa Alliance infrastructure—including both privately managed local area networks (LANs) and telecom-operated public networks—to create Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) with nationwide coverage. This stack integration also enables the module to be used with any microcontroller that has a UART interface, including hundreds of Microchip’s PIC MCUs.

The LoRa WAN protocol’s star topology eliminates synchronisation overhead and hops, compared to mesh networks, which reduces power consumption and enables multiple concurrent applications to run on the network.

LoRa technology also has a much longer range than other wireless protocols, which enables the RN2483 to operate without repeaters, reducing the total cost of ownership. In comparison to 3G and 4G cellular networks, LoRa technology is far more scalable and cost effective for embedded applications.

By employing LoRa technology, designers can now maximise both while reducing the cost of additional repeaters. Additionally, the RN2483 provides them with the ability to secure their network communication using AES-128 encryption.