2. Agenda
• What is LPWA?
• History of LPWANs
• Technology Snapshots
• How to pick
• Use Case Examples
• Questions
3. How to ask a question
• Visit http://forum.link-labs.com/ to submit your question
4. What is LPWA?
• Low Power, Wide Area Networks
• Low data rate = High sensitivity = Long Range
• Multiple Access = One-to-Many Architecture
• Mostly Unlicensed Spectrum = duty cycle limits (ETSI) or
time-on-air limits (FCC)
• Carrier Deployed vs. Customer Deployed
7. Technology Snapshot
LTE Cat-M1
• What is this?
• 1.4 MHz Frontend (vs. 20 MHz) + 1 Antenna
• 1 Mbps Half-Duplex
Less
Expensive
Chipset
Power Saving Mode (PSM)
Extended Discontinuous Reception
(eDRx)
8. LTE Cat-M1
• Very good US Coverage*
• TCP/IP Network –
Connect to any server
• Fast data rates
• Can be very power
efficient
• Better UL power
utilization than NB-IOT
• Power budget
• Carrier Firmware
Upgrades use power
• Areas with limited
coverage
• System costs higher than
some LPWA
• Must implement IPSec
• IPR Risk
• Certification
Advantages Considerations
* In 2017, Verizon and ATT
9. LTE Cat-M1
Key Takeaways
• It will be available by mid 2017 nationwide in US.
• Provides power efficient data transport, with (relatively) high speeds.
• Modules costs ~$15, data $1 - 3/mo
• Look for LTE CAT-M “only” modules that do not require Linux and long
boot times out of PSM.
10. LTE-M Sensor Suite
• PTCRB and VZN Certified
communication board
• Open source
power/sensor board
• Open Source Atmel L21
project for user application
11. Link Labs IOTSystem
Communications
and Host Board
Power and
Sensor Board
Enclosure
Subscription and
Data
Management
Application Enablement in Hours
• LTE – M
• NB – IOT
• Symphony
+ Atmel Host MCU
with open source
libraries and
community
+ + +
• Battery
• Solar
• AC/DC
• Open Source
+ Huge array of
available sensors
(GPS, IO, Motion,
Environmental, etc)
• Internal Antennas
• Indoor rated
• Outdoor (IP67)
+ Fast customization
via our enclosure
partners
• Manages MNO
Subscription
• Manages data post
endpoint
• Handles sleepy
device addressing
• Firmware upgrades
Confidential for Telit
12. Technology Snapshot
NB-IOT
• How is this different?
• Cat- NB1
• 200 kHz
• Max 144 kbps uplink
• Half Duplex
• Chipsets could be slightly less than LTE-M1
13. NB-IOT
• Good hardware prices
• Link Margins are Good
• Data Rates Support
FOTA and advanced Use
Cases
• Less IPR Risk
• Much better bi-directional
data than most
unlicensed LPWA
• No US Announcements
• Monthly Subscription
• Not TCP/IP Direct
• May be limited to
Europe/Asia initially
• No mobility, only idle-
rejoin
Advantages Considerations
14. NB-IOT
Key Takeaways
• If LTE-M is “LTE-Light,” then NB-IOT is LPWA on steroids.
• Appropriate for sending “sensor messages” but not data streams.
• Deployments in 2018. US may lag significantly.
• Modules <$15?, Service costs?
• Market perception about advantages over LTE Cat-M1 (Power, cost,
coverage) do not hold.
16. SIGFOX
• Good hardware prices
• Hard to Jam
• Simple to implement
• Very small payloads: 12
bytes
• Americas/US Coverage
Lacking
• Vendor Risk
Advantages Considerations
17. SIGFOX
Key Takeaways
• For simple, infrequent sensors, a good choice, if there is network
coverage.
• Modules <$10, Data costs <$1/mo
18. Technology Snapshot
LoRaWANTM
• Based on LoRa PHY Technology
• Asynchronous Uplink
• “Dumb” Gateway, “Smart” Cloud
• Hybrid Business Model – Carrier + DIY
The LoRa® name, LoRa® logo and LoRaWAN™ are trademarks of Semtech Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.
20. LoRaWAN
• Good hardware prices
• Simple to implement
• Do-it-yourself option
• Good ecosystem of
vendors
• Needs Cloud Server for MAC
• Messages lost at >15% capacity or
with ACKs
• Dynamic Range Losses
• Complicated Key Management
• 1% Duty Cycle Limit (EU)
• Shared Channel Interference
• Additional Application
Requirements
Advantages Considerations
21. LoRaWAN
Key Takeaways
• Good do-it-yourself option for simple applications.
• Identity and provisioning management is complex.
• Message delivery not guaranteed.
• Multiple gateways may be needed.
• Firmware upgrades not really possible.
22. LoRa is an RF Technology.
Symphony Link is an Industrial IOT System.
LoRa
Link
Labs
23. Technology Snapshot
Symphony Link
• Uses LoRa Hardware
• Different Protocol Stack
• Synchronous / Slotted
• Quality of Service
• 100% Acknowledgements
• Repeaters
• Firmware-over-the-air
• Multicast/Control
• Auto-provisioning
• No cloud needed
24. Symphony Link
• Flexible Architecture
• Firmware-over-the-air
• Repeaters
• 100% Acknowledgements
• Quality of Service
• 256 byte MTU
• Licensed Spectrum Partners
• Limited Vendor Selection
• Limited data rate (1 kbps)
• European variant still in
beta release
Advantages Considerations
26. A Word on Standards
• Standardization ensure interoperability
• Innovation is slowed by standardization
• IP Protection allows private R&D investment and innovation
27. How to Pick?
Do you need connectivity:
• Only where you deploy it?
• Only in some cities?
• Indoors too?
LoRaWAN, Symphony Link
LoRaWAN, Sigfox, Ingenu
DIY or 3GPP
28. How to Pick?
Do you need bi-directional data:
• Message Acknowledgements
• Firmware Updates
• Control Signals
• Multicast
Symphony Link, Ingenu, 3GPP
Symphony Link, Ingenu, 3GPP
Symphony Link, Ingenu, 3GPP
Symphony Link, Ingenu, 3GPP
Only DIY
option here
29. How to Pick?
How many end nodes per area:
• Sparse
• Dense
• Mobile
• Unknown
Any Operator Network
DIY Options
Most Operator Networks (some have no handover)
3GPP
30. How to Pick?
What is your timeline to deploy your product?
• Now?
• 6 Months?
• 1-2 Years out?
• >2 Years out?
DIY- Symphony Link,
LoRaWAN
+ LTE Cat-M1
+ NB-IOT
+ 5G? NewTech?
31. How to Pick?
Where do you need connectivity?
• Americas / Australia
• Europe / Africa / Middle East*
• China
• Japan, South Korea
• Some countries have no ISM band
32. Defined area asset tracking
and management
Business need: Make informed decisions about efficiency, maintenance, and safety by
knowing asset location and status
38. What makes up
Symphony Link?
Signal from
Symphony Link
Radio Module
Cloud-based
data analytics
39. What makes up
Symphony Link?
Symphony Link IoT
Gateway
• Long Range
• Interference avoidance
• Indoor/Outdoor
• Expandable with repeaters
Embedded Radio Modules
• Low power use - Adaptive
broadcast power and data rate
• Scalability – Allows thousands
of end points
• Message acknowledgment –
bi-directional acknowledgement
guarantees receipt
Cloud-based Management
• White label branding
• Connects to 3rd party data
41. Key Advantage #1
Repeaters
• Low Cost
• Same Range as Gateway
• Can be solar or battery powered
• Business Benefit: 10x Less Cost
• Use Cases: Demand Response,
Large Campuses, City
Deployments
42. Key Advantage #2
100% Acknowledgments
• All uplink and downlink messages are
acknowledged
• Quality of Service keeps network from
being overloaded
• Business Benefit: Access Critical Use
Cases
• See: https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2016122847A1
43. Key Advantage #3
256 Byte MTU
• Payload sizes up to 256 bytes
fixed
• All subpacketization and retries
handled
• Ipv6 Gateway Route Handler
(under development)
• Business Benefit: Easier
development, direct to IP routing
44. Key Advantage #3
Real Time ADR
• Nodes decide with SF and Tx
Power to use on each packet
• Maximizes Network Throughput
• Gets around 20dB Dynamic
Range issue of LoRa
• Business Benefit: Automatic
scaling, fewer lost messages
45. Key Advantage #4
Firmware Multicast
• #1 Industrial Customer
Requirement
• Patch Security Issues or manage
new features or bug fixes
• Business Benefit: Don’t “Touch”
hardware to upgrade
46. Key Advantage #5
Interference Handling
• Allows 96 networks to co-locate with no
cross talk
• LoRaWAN: All Networks cross talk by
design
• Business Benefit: 30x+ more on-air
capacity in ISM Band
47. Symphony
Link LoRaWAN SIGFOX LTE-M NB-IoT
Operating Frequency Most sub-GHz
433, 470-510, 868, 915
MHz 868 MHz 700-900 MHz, 1.4 GHz 700-900 MHz
Max outdoor range
>10 km - See Link
budget
>10 km - See Link
budget
>10 km - See Link
budget
>10 km - See Link
budget
>10 km - See Link
budget
Link Budget / Minimum Coupling Loss
159 dB (US) / 151 dB
(EU)
152 dB (US) / 151 dB
(EU)
156 dB (UL)
142 dB (DL) 156 dB 165 dB
Spectrum BW 125 kHz 125 kHz 100 Hz 1.4 MHz 200 kHz
Max Data Rate 5000 bps 5000 bps 100 bps <1 Mbps <150 kbps
Battery Life (based on 2000 mA*hr battery, 1 Tx/hr) >10 yrs >10 yrs >10 yrs >10 yrs >10 yrs
Topology Star Star Star Star Star
Availability Available Now Available Now EU Only 2017-18 2017-18
Compatible with Semtech LoRa Technology X X
Inexpensive Repeaters fill in coverage X
Adaptive Data Rate X X X X
Real Time Adaptive Data Rate X X X
Open Standard third-party licensing X 3GPP 3GPP
Roaming Support X On roadmap X X Possible
International Roaming Support (Multi-Band) X X Possible
Native Key/SIM management X X
Message Acknowledgements X X N/A N/A
100% Acknowledged Messages X X X
Usable in Licensed Spectrum as-is X X X X
Over-the-air Firmware Upgrades X X X
Multicast Message Groups X N/A N/A
Downlink Capability X Currently Limited Limited X X
Network Architecture Synchronous Asynchronous Asynchronous Synchronous Synchronous
AES, RSA, EEC Security X X X X
Uplink Power Control X X X
Real Time Quality of Service X X X
Handover X N/A X X
Interference Avoidance X
MAC controller Gateway Server Gateway Network Network
Supports Disconnected Operations X
Supports high jitter (SATCOM) connections X N/A N/A
Supports 1W Uplink Transmissions under FCC X X N/A N/A
Uplink-Downlink Collisions Possible X X
Carrier Sense Multiple Access X X X
Supports multiple gateway architectures X N/A N/A
MAC Layer Packetization and Retry X X X
Fixed MTU Size X X X
Supports IPv6 and TCP based addressing to endpoint X X X
