Dear Readers,

With the IOT wave sweeping over the world, the technology space is also quite upbeat about various network solutions taking over. Comes into picture, the class of low-power and long-range networks is referred to as LPWAN: low power wide area networks. Like Wi-Fi and Ethernet, they have star network topology, which helps to reduce power consumption. Data can be directly fed into the network from a central point, eliminating the need for power sipping devices transmitting through a mesh. Although various other LPWAN technologies are also in use, LoRa has been the focus of especially intensive attention of late.

LoRa stands for Long-Range, and mainly revolves around radio technology: it uses a smart spread spectrum data transmission method based around chirps (a term inspired by chirping birds) whereby signals can be detected even if they are extremely weak. An effective base station can easily achieve coverage of several kilometres (built-up areas present more of a challenge), and may even have a reach of several dozen kilometres out in the countryside. In another equally powerful feature, LoRa offers 6 different speeds (the spreading factor, or SF) in as many as 8 (sub) frequencies (with a bandwidth of 125 kHz), enabling devices to decipher overlapping signals, much needed in Internet Of Things applications

LoRaWAN is also based around the use of nodes (also referred to as motes), gateways that – similarly to Wi-Fi access points – pick up signals from the air and convert them, and a network server (an entire distributed infrastructure, in some cases) that effectively serves as data bridge to the application. The data transmitted by a node can be simultaneously picked up by multiple gateways, while encryption keys ensure that the network will accept the message and the application can process the decrypted data. In another special feature, LoRaWAN also allows for data to be transmitted to sensors.

Amongst other smart features, LoRaWAN allows for varying speeds: the spreading factor (SF). Devices with a low spreading factor communicate more rapidly and use less airtime, but have a smaller reach. Despite slowing down transmission speeds, a higher spread factor will ensure that your message is received clearly over a greater distance. The LoRaWAN specifications also incorporate ADR: adaptive data-rate, whereby the network can advise your device to use a lower spreading factor if the signal is strong enough: this saves air-time, and enables you to send more data in less time in order to conserve energy. With less airtime per node, the network can accommodate a greater number of active nodes.

References: Wikipedia

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Dear Readers,

We were not around to witness the great “Renaissance” that brought about a cultural upheaval across the globe, spanning over 14th to 17th century, but for millennials like us, the gradual and brainstorming foray of IoT into every aspect of our lives is going to be bigger and better for sure.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to connect about 50 billion smart objects to the network by the year 2020. Applications and their enablement plays a critical role in harnessing this connectivity, growth and the data generated from these objects. Through these applications, data collected can trigger breakthroughs in decision making, operational efficiencies, safety and security and affect nearly every aspect of the customer experience. The Internet of Things is opening up a parallel world of ‘thinglings’ (like the sound of this word, don’t you? As siblings are related by a lineage of blood, thinglings can be all those things connected through internet. Voila! ) that is going to bring about a tremendous transformation into our societies, our workplaces, our cities and our complete lives.

Remember that blockbuster animated movie ‘Cars’ which depicted a car as a humanized version of itself that can ‘talk’ to other cars, think on its own and even take decisions. This sci-fi situation might soon become a reality and believe me this would lead you to sigh in relief, considering the fact that humans lose more lives to road mishaps than to deadly cancers or AIDS. Things are changing at a cosmic pace and for good, hopefully.

Consider this situation: You’ve had a hard day at office and feel drained of all energy. You reach home and take a de-stressing shower. While bathing your thoughts drift to the idea of having big scoops of butterscotch ice-cream kept in your home refrigerator to cool-off your head. So right after you get dressed, you reach out for your freezer and pull out the ice cream bucket. As soon as you close the refrigerator door, a connected wireless speaker urges, loudly, “ Your most recent BMI / weight / height are…You may like to reconsider your selection”. The wireless speaker is programmed to report data collected from the bio-montoring sensor fitted in your bathroom, clubbing it with the nutritional value of groceries present in your fridge as collected from RFID tags around them and then reporting it to you.

Now imagine this : You woke up late and need to rush to be in time to pick up a friend from the airport. You find your wallet and jacket and step out without your car keys in your pocket. Perfect way to waste at least half-an hour first searching for keys and then locking the front door! *Beep Beep Beep*. Your ‘smart-door’ delays automatic locking of front door for an extra 90 seconds, as you just left without your keys, which is sensed by the RF sensor fixed at the doorway, giving you the chance to duck back inside to get keys if urgent and save those precious seconds .

Amazing, isn’t it? And this is not just any far-fetched silly dream, for the simple fact that the concept of IoT provides application writers (or App writers) with the power to connect objects not even vaguely related otherwise and start an entire new sort of functionality altogether. It’s almost like providing a carte blanche to the IOT application writers.

IOT

Cut to next scenario: It’s a happy weekend and you slept for eight hours, straight. You wake up rejuvenated and feel like going for a morning walk. But since you’re not some habitual morning-walker, you’re unaware of the parks and paths that would be best for you. But you need not worry as this particular mobile app has plenty of information about nearby parks and traffic-free roads that you may like to take. Additionally it gives you a track of all those registered with the app and taking a morning walk already, with updates about whatever paths they’re on. Who knows, you may end up finding someone to keep you company while taking the walk (tongue-in-cheek!).

The most evident alterations as a result of IoT-driven advancements are going to show-up in the ways we communicate and control things, resulting in subsequent cost-cuttings. Basically this would open up vast avenues for research and development unleashing innumerable inventions, acting as if it’s sort of some Getafix’s magic potion. However, we have to make sure this change is going to be a positive development and we are adequately equipped for the security and reliability issues, considering the vast amount of data that would be accessed for such an IoT-driven world. Optimistically, this won’t lead to opening up of a doomed Pandora’s Box.

Keep tuned to this space for more ! We appreciate your feedback.

Author:
Harsha Thakur
Technical Content Writer

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