Sensoterra | Revolutionary Precision Farming using LoRAWAN

Only 3% of the world’s water is accessible freshwater. Of that, 70% of the freshwater consumed is used in the agricultural industry – the largest consumer of water globally. Monitoring soil moisture levels helps farmers to make effective and smart irrigation decisions. Too much water in the soil leads to waterlogged areas and anpotential for plant illness or death, while too little water will harm crop growth.

Here is the Solution !!

Sensoterra: more crop per drop. Making it easy and affordable to measure soil moisture and produce more food for less. 

Our climate is changing; freshwater supplies are dwindling and droughts, flash floods and failed crops are more and more common. This makes our global food production unstable while our population continues to grow.

Agriculture consumes 70% of the world’s water supply to provide food for 7.5 billion people, yet agriculture is far behind when it comes to embracing digital solutions to solve problems of efficiency and quality in the production of food. Less than 1% of all farmers use sensors to understand their crops condition and needs. As a result, almost all farmers over-irrigate their crops by up to 60%, wasting money, precious water and damaging healthy soils.  

That’s where Sensoterra soil moisture measurement system comes in picture. A low cost and user-friendly tool for farmers that will make the agriculture sector more sustainable and efficient. The Sensoterra Multi Depth Probe will lower water use and increase yields in the agriculture sector, bringing agriculture professionals extensive insight into soil condition. 

The Sensoterra mission is to tackle water waste in agriculture and help farmers increase yield and decrease costs. In short; producing more food for less.

Sensoterra is a low-cost, wireless and remote system that offers farmers real-time insight into the soil moisture condition of their crops. Soil is not homogenous – it holds moisture differently in various areas. With low-cost, plug and play probes that can be deployed across a large field in more areas, the

data becomes more valuable and results in smarter irrigation decisions. 

How it Works ?

  

 

The step-by-step process of Sensoterra’s LoRa-enabled solution

 The company utilizes Semtech LoRa-enabled sensors in its probes and a LoRaWAN™ network that enables the IoT connectivity, Sensoterra primarily focused on the North America and European agriculture markets and has deployed over 4,000 sensors and achieved over 720,000 data points since the product launch in 2016. Sensoterra’s solutions are now being deployed in Australia, South America and other parts of the world. In Dec 2018, IoTVigyan enquired and found that right now Sensoterra's probe do not support Indian LoRAWAN frequency, but if there is attractive business case from India, they can think about the same.

 Current Projects of Sensoterra

USP of Sensoterra

Ease of installation is a key feature of Sensoterra’s soil moisture system. LoRa-enabled multi-depth probe sensors can be installed in a matter of minutes and data is viewable online within an

hour after installation. A free app is available for download and can operate on a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Users have the ability to manage their installations through an easy to use dashboard and an open API is available for data integration.

Technical Details

Sensoterra probe

• Economic pricing
• Two-minute installation 
• Fully wireless and remote 
• Lifetime of 3-10 years 
• Compatible with all soil types 
• Free Data 
• Wireless range up to 4 km 
• Measure at different soil depths
• Probes retail at USD 110 

 

The system consists of probes, a solar-powered gateway and the stand-alone cloud-system “SoilWare”. Varying probe lengths (15, 30, 60 and 90 centimeters), allow measurement at different soil depths directly at the root of the plant.

Soil moisture data is sent to the cloud through the gateway, the user can access soil moisture data from any location and at any time.

The Sensoterra SoilWare system provides the farmer insight in real-time soil moisture percentage data per measurement point, per crop and stores all data securely stored in the cloud.  Farmers can compare soil moisture distribution per day, week or even year and access all data through PC, smartphone or tablet.

 How Sensoterra can be market differentiator ?

The soil moisture sensor market is dated and prices are high, ranging between 500-1,000 USD per sensor. As a result, typically only 1 sensor is used in a field covering as much as 50 hectares. Using only 1 data point is a high risk for irrigation management, especially considering differences in soil and crop type.

Boasting completely wireless sensors with the most intuitive UX and user friendly design, our sensors are offered at a fraction of the costs of competition, averaging 110 USD per sensor.

Besides the significantly lower retail price for Sensoterra, virtually every competitor is using a subscription model for data use. Sensoterra provides data for free, and charges no fees for the app or any other hidden cost.

For more information reach:https://www.sensoterra.com/

This article Sensoterra | Revolutionary Precision Farming using LoRAWAN is first time published on IoTVigyan , for any query or suggestion, feel free to reach on iotvigyan@gmail.com.

Reference : Internet

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Unbox ClodPi LoRAWAN Gateway

This article covers the high level details of ClodPi LoRaWAN Gateway and Unbox of the Gateway package.

Properties

• Enclosure: All metal Enclosure, ready for industries
• Power Supply: 5VDC/2A via mini-USB port
• Antenna Type: External SMA LoRa antenna & Built-in Wi-Fi antenna
• Frequency Band: IN865-867
• RF Transceiver: SX1301 with SX1257
• Number of Channels: 8 concurrent channels
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
• WAN Port: One RJ-45 10/100Base-T/TX, Auto-sensing, Auto-MDIX
• Transmit RF Power: 0.5W (up to 27 dBm)
• Receive Sensitivity: Down to -142 dBm

For more information about the product on www.clodpi.io

This article is first time published on www.IoTVigyan.com for more information ,kindly reach us at iotvigyan@gmailcom 

 

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LoRaWAN Security - IoT Fundamentals (Part 3)

Security is a primary concern for any mass IoT deployment and extremely important for any LPWAN.

LoRaWAN™ utilizes two layers of security: one for the network and one for the application. The network security ensures authenticity of the node in the network while the application layer of security ensures the network operator does not have access to the end user’s application data.

Accordingly, the LoRaWAN specification defines two layers of cryptography:

• A unique 128-bit Network Session Key shared between the end-device and network server
• A unique 128-bit Application Session Key (AppSKey) shared end-to-end at the application level

Data over LoRaWAN is encrypted twice; sensor data is encrypted by the node, and then it is encrypted again by the LoRaWAN protocol; only then is it sent to the LoRa Gateway. The Gateway sends data over normal IP network to the network server.

The Network server has the Network Session Keys (NwkSkey), and decrypts the LoRaWAN data. It then passes the data to the Application server which decrypts the sensor data, using the Application Session Key (AppSKey).

This is important since LoRa Gateway operate over open frequency so can receive data from any sensor in the vicinity. Thus, it become important that the LoRa Gateways not have ability to decrypt sensor data.

It is important to note that it is the LoRaWAN communication protocol that adds the encryption. LoRa transmissions by themselves are simple radio wave transmission and cannot be encrypted.

LoRaWAN™ devices have two ways to join the network. The first is OTAA, Over-the-Air-Activation. The device and the network exchange a 128-bit AppKey. When the device send the join request, the AppKey is used to create a Message Integrity Code (MIC), the server then check the MIC with the AppKey. If the check is valid, the server creates two new 128-bit keys, the App Session key (AppSkey) and the Network Session Key (NwkSkey). These keys are sent back to the device using the AppKey as an encryption key. When the keys are received the device decrypts and installs the two session keys.

The NwkSkey is used to guarantee the message integrity from the device to the LoRa Network Server. The AppSkey is used for the end-to-end AES-128 encryption from the device to the Application Server.

The second method for the network join is ABP, Activation by Personalization. In this case the device session keys are inserted by the user, thus is possible to have security issues.

LPWAN - Fundamentals of IoT (Part1)

LoRa and LoRAWAN - Fundamentals of IoT (Part 2)

 

Source :Internet

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LoRa and LoRAWAN - Fundamentals of IoT (Part 2)

LoRa (Long Range) is a patented digital wireless data communication IoT technology developed by Cycleo of Grenoble, France. It was acquired by Semtech in 2012, which holds the IP for LoRa transmission methodology.

LoRa transmits over license-free sub-gigahertz radio frequency bands like 169 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz (Europe) and 915 MHz (North America). LoRa enables very-long-range transmissions (more than 10 km in rural areas) with low power consumption.

The technology is presented in two parts — LoRa, the physical layer, and; the communication protocol built upon the underlying LoRa physical layer. The communication layer may be LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network), an open source communication protocol defined by the LoRa Alliance consortium; or may be Symphony Link, another open source communication protocol defined by a company called Link Labs.

Thus, LoRaWAN™ defines the communication protocol and system architecture for the network, while the LoRa® physical layer enables the long-range communication link. LoRa WAN communication protocol ensures reliable communication, secure communication and adds additional headers to the data packets.

LoRa and LoRaWAN

The LoRaWAN communication protocol is defined by the LoRa Alliance, a non-profit technology alliance of more than 500 member companies, committed to enabling large scale deployment of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) IoT through the development, and promotion of the LoRaWAN open standard.

The first LoRaWAN standard was announced by the LoRa Alliance in June 2015. In 2017 LoRaWAN specification 1.1 was released.

LoRa and LoRaWAN permit inexpensive, long-range connectivity for IoT devices in rural, remote and offshore industries. They are typically used in mining, natural resource management, renewable energy, transcontinental logistics, and supply chain management.

LoRaWAN is the most adopted type of LPWAN, and promises ubiquitous connectivity in outdoor IoT applications, while keeping network structures, and management, simple.

LoRa and LoRaWAN Network Topology

LoRaWAN network architecture is deployed in a star-of-stars topology (vs. mesh topology eg. Zibgee).

The LoRaWAN networks laid out in a star-of-stars topology have base stations relaying the data between the sensor nodes and the network server.

Communication between the sensor nodes and the base stations goes over the wireless channel utilizing the LoRa physical layer, whilst the connection between the gateways and the central server are handled over a backbone IP-based network.

• End Nodes transmit directly to all gateways within range, using LoRa.
• Gateways relay messages between end-devices and a central network server using IP.

End NodesThe End Nodes are LoRa embedded sensors. The nodes typically have,

• Sensors (used to detect the changing parameter eg. temperature, humidity, accelerometer, gps),
• LoRa transponder to transmit signals over LoRa patented radio transmission method, and
• optionally a micro-controller (with on board Memory).

The sensors may connect to the LoRa transponder chip, or the sensor may be an integrated unit with the LoRa transponder chip embedded.

It is possible to program the micro-controllers in micro-Python or micro-Javascript. This allows developers to use the data from sensors like accelerometers, temperature, etc. and implement certain use cases eg. Fall detection algorithms may be implemented by programming the micro controller based on the inputs from the accelerometer and other sensors.

The LoRaWAN end nodes(sensors) typically use Low Power and are battery powered (Class A and Class B). LoRa embedded sensors that run on batteries that can typically last from 2–5 years. The LoRa sensors can transmit signals over distances from 1km — 10km.

GatewaysThe LoRa sensors transmit data to the LoRa gateways. The LoRa gateways connect to the internet via the standard IP protocol and transmit the data received from the LoRa embedded sensors to the Internet i.e. a network, server or cloud.

The Gateways devices are always connected to a power source. The Gateways connect to the network server via standard IP connections and act as a transparent bridge, simply converting RF packets to IP packets and vice versa.

Network ServersThe Network servers can be cloud based platform solutions like The Things Network (TTN) or LoRIOT. The network servers connect to the gateways and de-dup data packets, and then routes it to the relevant application. The network servers can be used for both uplink (i.e. sensor to application) or downlink (i.e. application to sensor) communication.

The Things Network Network server has a Router, Broker and Handler, which processes the data packets from the LoRaWAN gateway. It also has an AWS Bridge that connects TTN to the AWS IOT platform.

Application Servers
The Application can typically be built over IoT platforms like AWS IoT using Lambda, DynamoDb or S3 services.

For earlier information ,visit 

LPWAN - Fundamentals of IoT (Part1)

Source: Internet

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LPWAN - Fundamentals of IoT (Part 1)

A low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) or low-power wide-area (LPWA) network or low-power network (LPN) is a type of wireless telecommunication wide area network designed to allow long range communications at a low bit rate among things (connected objects), such as sensors operated on a battery.

LPWAN offers multi-year battery lifetime and is designed for sensors and applications that need to send small amounts of data over long distances a few times per hour from varying environments.

LoRa and LoraWAN belong to the category of non-cellular LPWAN wireless communication network protocols and players, operating in the license-free spectrum. Other technologies that operate in the license-free frequency bands include Sigfox, Ingenu and several more.

A complete list of Wireless IoT protocols may be found here.

• https://www.link-labs.com/blog/complete-list-iot-network-protocols
• https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/AsiaPacific/SiteAssets/Pages/Events/2016/Dec-2016-IoT/IoTtraining/IoT%20network%20planning%20ST%2015122016.pdf

While LoRA, LoRaWAN operates on open licensed-free spectrums, others may operate on licensed frequencies. Accordingly, LPWANs may often be classified as licensed and licensed-free LPWAN ecosystems.

LoRa and Sigfox fall under non-cellular IoT technologies. NB-IoT (NarrowBand IoT) falls under cellular IoT category, and transmits over cellular frequency .

• http://www.rfwireless-world.com/Terminology/NB-IoT-vs-LoRa-vs-SigFox.html

Note: It is possible for LoRa(or any LP WAN device) 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. Since LoRa embedded sensors transmit over large distances, but use low power (batteries), its bandwidth is greatly limited.

Source:Internet

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Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Is suitable for Automation & Machine Learning

 (image source: Raspberry Pi Foundation)
The latest model of the Raspberry Pi, The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ has a series of new features that should make it an attractive offering to embedded systems engineers and makers looking to explore advanced applications such as machine learning.

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B has gotten an upgrade focused on making it an even better tool for serious embedded applications engineers and makers looking to explore more advanced applications such as AI and machine learning.

Here's a quick rundown of the Model B+ specs:

• Broadcom BCM2837B0, Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.4GHz
  
• 1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM
  
• 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11.b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE
  
• Gigabit Ethernet over USB 2.0 (maximum throughput 300 Mbps)
  
• Extended 40-pin GPIO header
  
• Full-size HDMI
  
• 4 USB 2.0 ports
  
• CSI camera port for connecting a Raspberry Pi camera
  
• DSI display port for connecting a Raspberry Pi touchscreen display
  
• 4-pole stereo output and composite video port
  
• Micro SD port for loading your operating system and storing data
  
• 5V/2.5A DC power input
  
• Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support (requires separate PoE HAT)
  
   Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton discusses the updates in the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.
  
  
  
  
  The newly released Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, uses an updated version of the same processor as its predecessor, but in a new package that squeezes out even more performance. The Model B+ is built around Broadcom's BCM2837B0 64-bit processor, which now incorporates power integrity optimizations and a heat spreader, allowing the single-board computer to reach higher clock speeds, reduce power consumption, and better control the temperature of the chip.
  
  
  
  Source : Internet
  

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Cellular IoT market Forecast

IoT (Internet of things) devices with cellular connectivity make up a substantial portion of the overall IoT wireless connectivity market, particularly in the Massive IoT space where wide-area connectivity and mobility are requied. Here are top future trends for the cellular IoT market:

-As per Ericsson IoT forecast, the number of mobile phones is expected to be surpassed by connected things in year 2018. The number of IoT devices with cellular connections is projected to reach 1.5 billion in 2022, or about 70% of wide-area IoT connections. Between 2016 and 2022, IoT devices are expected to increase at a CAGR of 21 percent, driven by new use cases.

The wide-area category consists of devices using cellular connections (3GPP-based 2G,3G,4G,5G etc.. with some CDMA), as well as unlicensed low-power technologies, such as Sigfox, LoRa and Ingenu.

Figure 1. Ericsson IoT Forcast

- The top players reported a combined active base of 407 million cellular IoT connections at the end of First half of 2017. As per Analyst firm Berg Insight ,top 10 global mobile operators account of 76% of the cellular IoT market. They are:

1.      China Mobile – 150m connections

2.      Vodafone – 59m

3.      China Unicom  – 50m

4.      AT&T – 36m

5.      China Telecom – 28m

6.      Deutsche Telecom – 15-20m

7.      Softbank/Sprint – 15-20m

8.      Verizon – 15-20m

9.      Telefonica – 15-20m

1.  Telenor – 12m

“The Chinese mobile operators achieved tremendous volume growth in 2017, driven by accelerating uptake of cellular IoT in the domestic market,” said Tobias Ryberg, senior analyst at Berg Insight and the author of the report. “China Mobile is believed to have reached 200 million cellular IoT connections at the end of 2017.” However, Berg also found that although China is ahead in connections, Western operators generate more IoT revenues. Berg predicts that at least three operator groups will make more than $1 billion in IoT revenues this year: AT&T, Verizon and Vodafone.

- As per J. Sharpe Smith is the Senior Editor of eDigest, The five-year forecast predicts NB-IoT will take over 57 percent of cellular IoT shipments by 2022, followed by LTE-M (CAT-M) with 25 percent of the market.

-Grand View Research estimated the value of cellular IoT market at nearly $1.8 billion in 2016 and projected that it will reach $9.65 billion by 2025. The firm cited cellular networks’ resilience, ubiquitous mobility, and security as primary drivers for cellular IoT market growth.

Source: Grand View Research

“Cellular connectivity in IoT applications ensures massive deployments in sectors such as fleet tracking and management capillary networks and smart buildings, owing to which the application is expected to witness highest growth in the Asia Pacific region,” Grand View said. “The ever-increasing population, high demand for consumer goods, and recent proliferation of the disruptive technology in industrial applications are the major factors driving market growth over the forecast period.”

-In Cisco’s 2017 Visual Networking Index for global mobile traffic, the company noted that bandwidth-intensive IoT applications such as video monitoring are on the rise, with IoT capabilities “similar to end-user mobile devices are experiencing an evolution from 2G to 3G and 4G and higher technologies.” Cisco, which still classifies IoT devices as M2M (machine-to-machine traffic), said that on a global basis, connections will grow from 780 million in 2016 to 3.3 billion by 2021, a 34% CAGR and fourfold growth over the forecast period.

Figure : Global Machine-to-Machine Growth and Migration from 2G to 3G and 4G+

This article is first time published on IoT Vigyan Technology Blog.

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