Lora Network and Gateway
Lora Network and Gateway have been popularly used in wireless applications, this article will talk about some typical applications and related Lora solutions.

Lora has been popularly used in wireless application, it belongs to the category of non-cellular LPWAN wireless communication network protocols and players, operating in the license-free spectrum. It is possible for LoRa to transmit over large distances with low power, since the laws of physics dictate, that in order to transmit over a large distance; you either need to increase the power, or reduce the bandwidth.

Compares to other wireless solution, Lora transmit distance is medium, suitable for local applications such as farms/buildings(while Bluetooth/WiFi/NFC are very short distance ) and free(while GSM/3G/4G need extra service fee).

Basically, a Lora network composed of end nodes/gateway, and related network server. The end Node sense/interactive with the world, the gateway convert the local Lora to 3G, 4G, WiFi, or Ethernet, and the network server/application server to hand the data/interactive with human being.

As the end nodes, it is normally sensors to sense the environment, and actuator to do something. There Makerfabs designed the Lora soil moisture sensor and Lora Relay, as the Lora nodes:

The Lora relay support max 30A currently switching ON/OFF, AC240V, enough for normal equipment such as Fan/Pump, or even air condition. It is powered by 12V DC jack; the Lora soil moisture sensor is based on capacitance; measurements, with 555, to detect the soil moisture around, besides, there also temperature sensor on the board, to make it also capable for temperature monitor, with reasonable power control circuit, it could work for more than 30 days with 2 3A batteries.

These Lora nodes utilize cheap/basic Atmega328P, 8M 3.3V working, with Arduino bootloader preloaded, users can free to program them with Arduino IDE, via simple UART2USB convertor.

And the Gateway, Makerfabs Lora gateway could be the solution, based on Python ESP32 and Multiple channel Lora expansion shield, the Lora gateway can act as the lora2WiFi convertor, as in the Project_Soil-Moisture-Sensor-WiFi and Project_Lora-Relay-WiFi.

Makerfabs Lora solution also supports PCBA OEM/ODM, if you get interested in our solution, free to contact service@makerfabs.com, we can help to upgrade/customize the designs as your project requests.

Check the new project we did: the IoT Irrigation System based on Lora Network and Gateway: