MUNICH – Electronica 2014 – Nov 5, 2014 — Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, is partnering with IBM Research, Microchip and their distribution partners, to demonstrate the most powerful and advanced technology for Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) at Electronica 2014 by deploying a live LoRa™ Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) over a majority of the Munich area.
Semtech is also promoting its broader partner ecosystem of end-node modules, gateways/concentrators, and network controller solutions for private networks at the show by giving away 1,000 IoT demonstration end-nodes to select clients by the ecosystem participants. The end-node modules will connect to the Munich IoT wireless network set up for Electronica so potential customers can evaluate the range, coverage, and potential of the LoRa™ technology.
The LoRa™ technology has a range greater than cellular at a fraction of power and has the capacity to connect millions of nodes into a network deployment. LoRa™ partner solutions simplify and accelerate development time while minimizing development cost allowing developers to focus on their end application and services rather than network design and deployment. The partner solutions can be used as turn-key solutions for IoT nationwide deployments by telecom and service providers or utilized as a hosted network solution for local private deployments.
“To realize the full potential of the Internet of Things we must improve the usability of instrumented sensors and devices, and their secure and efficient management in extremely large volumes,” said Dr. Thorsten Kramp, Master Inventor, IBM Research Zurich. “With IBM’s cloud technologies, including the new IoT Foundation service, advanced analytics, middleware, and M2M infrastructure solutions combined with Semtech’s new long range communication technology we can now address these needs for industries including logistics, energy, telecommunications, and government.”
Steve Caldwell, Vice President of the Wireless Products Division at Microchip, said: “Semtech’s LoRa™ technology provides an excellent solution for the rising market need to wirelessly connect IoT and many other embedded designs. We expect this technology to enable compelling new capabilities for our customers.”
For more information and to see the Munich network in operation please visit Semtech at Hall A4 booth 220, Microchip at Hall A4 booth 560, Future at Hall A4 booth 259, IMST at Hall A4 booth 359, or Avnet Memec at Hall A5 booth 476.
Background: How LoRa Hosted Network Server (controller) Works for IoT
To take full advantage of LoRa™ properties Semtech designed the gateway chip set and partnered with IBM Research, Actility and Microchip to develop the LoRaMAC protocol to enable a long-range star network architecture with significantly higher network capacity than competing solutions.
One of the key features of LoRaMAC and the network server is adaptive data rate, which optimizes the network capacity, battery lifetime and creates a fully scalable system. In most network deployments today, a single data rate is utilized causing a problem when nodes on the network need a higher capacity. It leaves operators with nothing to do except tear down the network and deploy a new architecture.
To build a hosted controller network, a developer would first select a LoRaMAC-compliant module from Microchip or IMST to create their end node application. The LoRaMAC protocol is embedded inside of the module so the developer only needs to manage the interface to the application.
Next the developer will select a gateway from qualified gateway vendors (Kerlink, IMST or MultiTech) and provision the gateway to a hosted network controller from Actility or Future Electronics who will distribute the IBM Research network controller solution. The developer will pay a small connectivity fee for the hosting of the network controller but it allows them to deploy quickly with minimal development expense the most powerful LPWAN for IoT.
Link to diagram and images: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/fzgi2hq4qmx1spz/AABZvn9DmX7fKDaoMYsSPvloa
About Semtech
Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for high-end consumer, computing, communications and industrial equipment. Products are designed to benefit the engineering community as well as the global community. The company is dedicated to reducing the impact it, and its products, have on the environment. Internal green programs seek to reduce waste through material and manufacturing control, use of green technology and designing for resource reduction. Publicly traded since 1967, Semtech is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SMTC. For more information, visit www.semtech.com.
