I’ve been watching the IoT scene for a while and would like to get a very basic, but expandable solution off the ground. The sensors will be on a mobile machine that will not always have connectivity to a gateway. I am currently thinking of using LoRa to try and get as much connectivity as possible (Laird RG191 gateway). The solution must be universal enough that either WiFi or GSM can be used at a later stage. Note that the data throughput is very low. For the back-end I was thinking of using AWS, their database and IoT tools. Still not sure what type of dashboard I will use, but I need different views for different people.
Has anyone done anything like this?
Any examples?
Are there ‘better’ solutions out there instead of AWS? (Note that will add a bit of machine learning at a later stage)
If you are looking to break into IoT, and especially LoRa, the best option available at the moment is the Pycom Lopy4. It is able to use LoRa, Sigfox, Wifi, or Bluetooth. We have a bunch of tutorials on how to use Pycom boards
We also have tutorials on how to get connected to The Things Network. You can sync AWS and TTN accounts so they both receive the same data. AWS is probably one of the best dashboard solutions if you are looking for a professional dashboard that could fit just about any need. Here are our tutorials for using the Lopy4 with The Things Network.
The Lopy4 doesn’t have 3G capability, but the Pycom FiPy does. The FiPy has five network capability, so you could start with LoRa and implement other networks later on on the same device.
We also have a great kit to help you get started with Pycom:
Thnx Stephen. Your comprehensive answer, it is appreciated.
It seems that the LoPy can also be configured as a nano LoRaWan gateway. Would you say that it is an easy route to take to get something going or is it better to get a decent gateway such as the Laird RG191? What about a low cost Dragino gateway ( I realise that it has limitations).
Do you guys have practical workshops focusing on these type of topics?
Single channel gateways are fine for personal use, though are disruptive on TTN. The Laird RG191 will operate across all eight channels and is LoRaWAN compliant, so it will work the way you expect.
LoPy4 “can” be used as a 3-channel gateway, though it’s more faniscal than useful. It heros as a full-fledged LoRaWAN node; and supports all 8 channels in that mode.
