The Things Gateway is at the core of The Things Network’s technology. Using this LoRaWAN beacon, they can connect whole cities onto the Internet of Things thanks to its range of 10 km (6.2 miles). (Image courtesy of The Things Network.)
Once in the field, connecting far-off devices can be an expensive and a battery draining experience, especially when most ISPs charge as you go.
Enter long range wide area networks (LoRaWANs) and the ambitious bunch at The Things Network. The team at The Things Network has used LoRaWAN gateways to cover all of Amsterdam with open and free IoT connectivity.
The project has become so successful that other major cities around the world have been knocking down The Things Network’s door to get in on the score. This has created a significant demand for The Thing Network’s technology, which at the time was more of a proof of concept than anything else.
The Things Network got a lot of help during its engineering journey from a series of third parties, including Tweetonig, Microchip Technology, Premier Farnell and its element14 community for engineers. Additionally, a €290,000 ($320,000) boost from Kickstarter didn’t hurt.
How LoRaWAN Can Take the IoT World by Storm?
The Things Uno is a board that makers and engineers can use to help develop IoT products for LoRaWAN networks. It is Arduino compatible and can be connected to breadboards to gain access to other sensors and equipment not included in the package. (Image courtesy of The Things Network.)
The primary LoRaWAN made by The Things Network will be open to everyone. The company is more than happy making money off its physical products. These tools can be used to expand the network, make its own private version or design its own IoT products to connect to the network.
“We are not monetizing our public network. Our aim is that it should be distributed as much as possible,” expressed Wienke Giezeman, initiator of The Things Network. “Users access the network themselves, so there is no investment on our side. Network servers will also be distributed when purchased. The community network its designed to be very scalable, so communities worldwide will handle the cost of the server by adding gateways and servers to the network.”
Despite the possibilities of LoRaWAN, it won’t solve all our data transmission problems. The rub is that the bandwidth is simply too small for humans on the web. But these characteristics might be the perfect combination for the IoT.
“LoRaWAN isn’t used for watching Netflix,” joked Giezeman. “It’s for IoT applications that only transmit sensor data or small packages of data a few bites at a time. Not much more is needed for most IoT applications. For humans, it’s known that you need high bandwidth and data rates. But look at sensors and traffic light distance sensors; these devices need to send data once every few minutes or hours.”
Giezeman explains that IoT devices using LoRaWAN can be programmed to go into a deep sleep so that they only wake up when the central system sends information or when they need to send information. This will allow engineers to create products with an amazing battery life that can last out in the field for years on a single charge. This is perfect for devices that require low maintenance to be practical such as sensors on air quality equipment, vehicle parking meters and interstate highway signs.
The Engineering Journey for The Things Network
The Things Node is like the Uno, in that it can be used to design IoT devices on the LoRaWAN. However, the product is a lot more finalized as it has more built-in sensors, a button and a waterproof casing. However, traditional makers and engineers might find this more restrictive when developing their designs. (Image courtesy of The Things Network.)
- Things Gateway: The gateway and antenna network that sets up the LoRaWAN coverage
- Things Uno: An Arduino-compatible board with an embedded LoRaWAN antenna, sensors and breadboard expansion capabilities used to design IoT prototypes
- The Things Node: A more advanced Uno that includes a waterproof case, more sensors and a button
“There are already several LoRaWAN gateways on the market, but most of them are expensive and hard to configure,” said Giezeman. “You need a lot of in-depth skill and expertise to install them correctly. At this point, we decided to design our own at a much lower price with a range of a few kilometers and [which are] easy to set up onto a things network.”
Much of the product design was performed by The Things Network itself. It then partnered with Tweetonig for the manufacturing design. Eventually, it was suggested to the company to work with Premier Farnell and its element14 community to figure out the manufacturing and distribution of the products. element14 has a long history of working with start-ups to help them design, manufacture, package, market and distribute their products.
“Premier Farnell is very useful for us due to their global community of professional builders interested in these technologies. This marketing reaches a global market,” said Giezeman. “As for production, they helped us find the factory in China that makes the Raspberry Pi. We just give them the design, and they start making it. element14 is a very reliable partner that can help us out a lot with getting a more reliable image as a company.”
In other words, element14 and Premier Farnell helped to get The Things Network products manufacturing ready and found a manufacturing plant that could do the job. It also ensured that the company got all its testing and certification done as well. But some of the biggest advantages were gaining a hotline to the maker and engineering communities.
Giezeman explains that one of the biggest rewards of fulfilling its own engineering journey is how it affected others. Its products also make it easy for others to get their IoT products off the ground, and the company has seen this firsthand at a few hands-on events.
“Once people see data transmitted on our devices and how easy it is for a certain application, they get inspired,” noticed Giezeman. “With these products, we are lowering the threshold to make the devices and inspire others to make them.”
What would you make with a Things Uno? What would you do if your city was on a LoRaWAN? Comment below.
Premier Farnell PLC has sponsored this post. It has provided no editorial input. All opinions, unless otherwise stated, are mine—Shawn Wasserman.