LPWAN Cookbook - draft

Introduction LPWAN Cookbook

I’ve been in the wireless industry for over 30 years, witnessing its evolution from the days before “IoT” and “LPWAN” existed. We started with basic data communication using Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) on private mobile radios, achieving 3600 bits per second speeds. Planning was done manually, and coverage was tested with simple transmitters.

Today, LPWANs are divided into public and private networks. Anyone can set up a private LPWAN using technologies like LoRaWAN or Mioty. In Germany, NB-IoT and LTE-M are available nationwide, along with local city-wide LPWANs and public networks like Sigfox and Wize.

NB-IoT and LTE-M stand out by combining cellular networks with LPWAN, featuring advanced power management that extends device life up to 10 years. If public coverage is insufficient, setting up a private network is an option.

The LPWAN Cookbook guides planning, simulating, and testing private LPWANs. It includes a case study of my birthplace, Kirchheim, with detailed data and antenna specifications. The book also compares major LPWAN technologies, highlighting their unique features.

My goal is to help wireless application developers by sharing my experience and providing practical advice for selecting the right LPWAN technology. In 2017, I launched reference designs for LPWAN called akorIoT, drawing on my experience in developing antennas and LPWAN devices. This book aims to guide developers and end customers in choosing the best LPWAN technology for their projects.

The draft version with 200+ pages DIN in format DIN A4 I can deliver since December 2024. Updates for the next 2 years are included free of charge. Register to get updates and the release date of the LPWAN Cookbook here.

Draft table as below with some jump in the numbering by converting the table with AI. AI is nice, but not perfect sometimes. ;-)

Table of contents of the LPWAN Cookbook

0. Why Did I Write the LPWAN Cookbook?

1. Look back at the past of communication technology

1.2 From 0G in 1918 to private 5G in 2019

1.3 My experience in the nineties – Planning and installation of radio networks

2. How to set up a private LPWAN

2.5 Intro to the private LPWAN for a village and a town in Germany

2.5.1 Private LPWAN for a small village – not in Gaul (Latin: Gallia)

2.5.2 Private LPWAN for a German city

2.6 Radio propagation basics

2.6.1 Quick overview for planning, simulation and testing a private LPWAN

2.6.2 What is a Radio Propagation Model like Okumura-Hata?

2.6.3 Free field loss

2.6.4 Line of Sight

2.6.5 How to calculate the link budget in LPWAN

2.6.6 LPWAN gateway in the middle of the North Sea – k-factor

2.7 LPWAN gateway in the middle of the North Sea – Fresnel zone

2.8 LPWAN gateway on a farm in Australia – diffraction of the radio wave

2.9 LPWAN Gateway antenna selection 2.9.1 LPWAN gateway antenna gain

2.9.2 Antenna Diagram of the LPWAN Gateway

2.9.3 Half-width of the LPWAN antenna

2.9.4 Antenna side lobe attenuation

2.9.5 Antenna forward / backward ratio

2.9.6 Antenna bandwidth

2.9.7 Eight antenna diagrams in comparison

2.10 Planning of private LPWAN for the community of Kirchheim

2.10.1 Basic considerations for LPWAN planning

2.11 Simulation of private LPWAN

2.11.1 The first LPWAN gateway for Kirchheim in the state of Hesse

2.11.2 The first site for the private LPWAN in Kirchheim

2.11.3 The second site for the private LPWAN in Kirchheim

2.11.4 The third LPWAN gateway site – Allendorf

2.11.5 The fourth LPWAN gateway site – Kemmerrode

2.11.6 The fifth LPWAN Gateway site – Reimboldhausen

2.11.7 The sixth LPWAN Gateway site – Gershausen

2.11.8 The seventh to ninth LPWAN gateway

2.11.9 The tenth LPWAN Gateway site – Willingshain

2.11.10 The eleventh LPWAN Gateway site – Frielingen

2.11.11 The twelfth LPWAN Gateway site – Heddersdorf

2.11.12 Summary of the gateways for the Gemeinde Kircheim

2.11.13 Further LPWAN gateway sites for the community of Kircheim

2.12 Testing of private LPWAN 2.13 DIN VDE 0855, grounding, lightning protection, equipotential bonding

2.14 Local building law and the installation of an antenna system

3. LPWA technologies description

3.5 Sigfox

3.5.1 Duty-Cycle (EU) and channel assignment 400 ms (US):

3.5.2 Modulation types with Sigfox protocol 3.5.3 From BPSK to DPSK

3.5.4 BPSK vs. DPSK: A comparison and the choice of Sigfox for DPSK

3.5.5 GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying):

3.5.6 Sigfox in detail

3.5.7 Insight into the Sigfox frames: Analysis of F.FLAGS: Detailed description and mode of operation

3.5.8 Star-shaped topology and unidirectional communication: Fundamental principles of Sigfox efficiency

3.6 LoRaWAN

3.6.1 Milestones CSS, LoRa and LoRaWAN

3.6.2 Milestones in Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS)

3.6.3 Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS)

3.6.4 The physical layer (PHY) named LoRa

3.6.5 Network, application, and join servers

3.6.6 LoRaWAN message and device types

3.6.7 LoRaWAN Payload, frequency spectrum, and bandwidth

3.7 Mioty

3.7.1 Milestones MSK, Telegram Splitting, and Mioty

3.7.2 Minimum Shift Keying (MSK): A detailed analysis of efficient data transmission with minimum bandwidth

3.7.3 GMSK: A further development of MSK with even better performance

3.7.4 MSK and GMSK – Efficient solutions for modern communication

3.7.5 Telegram Splitting – patented and unique with Mioty

3.7.6 Efficient communication in telemetry applications: TS-UNB in detail Signal processing before transmission in the TS-UNB uplink

3.7.7 Device classes in the Mioty protocol

3.7.8 In-depth analysis of low-latency communication with Mioty

3.7.9 Mioty Service center

3.8 Wize Protocol

3.8.1 Milestones of Wize:

3.8.2 Technical basics of GFSK: Further sub-chapters to specify

3.9 NB-IoT – LPWAN in cellular networks

3.9.1 NB-IoT modulation schemes

3.9.2 New functions in NB-IoT in Release 14, 15 and 17

Further sub-chapters to specify

4. Comparison of LPWAN Technologies

Sub-chapters will follow (ongoing).

Further sub-chapters to specify.

Ask for the LPWAN Cookbook. For LPWAN consulting contact harald.naumann (at) antennity.com.

Imprint

Harald Naumann • Ludwig-Kaufholz-Weg 4 • 31535 Neustadt • Germany • Fon +49-5032-8019985 • Fax +49-5032-801998 6 • Cell +49-152-33877687

Email harald.naumann (at) antennity .com • SKYPE h.naumann • www.antennity.com