In the LoRaWAN (Non-cellular LPWA) Primer – From Fundamentals to IoT Application Examples (1), we introduced everything from basic knowledge including an overview of LoRaWAN and how it works to an example of network construction.
In the following section, we introduce examples in which a LoRaWAN network is actually used as an IoT solution and the LoRaWAN non-cellular LPWA modules that affect the size, performance, ease of use, and reliability of end devices.

4. Examples of IoT Solutions Utilizing LoRaWAN

LPWA wireless communication using LoRaWAN is used in a broad range of applications as a wireless communication network suited to various IoT solutions. Here, we show a few successful examples of applications utilizing LoRaWAN modules (Type ABZ).

4.1 Disaster Prevention System Using LoRaWAN and Environmental Monitoring Sensors

To prepare for flood damage due to heavy rainfall, environmental monitoring sensors with superior durability were equipped with LoRaWAN and installed around rivers. This is an application that measures the amount of rainfall at various sites along the river with multiple LoRaWAN devices to gather data with long-range wireless communication and display the conditions on a terminal screen map. This makes it possible to verify heavy rainfall conditions from a smartphone, etc. and is helpful for preventing damage due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
At the same time, because the LoRaWAN modules have low power consumption and a long battery lifetime, the effort and cost required to change the device batteries and perform other maintenance can be kept to a minimum even if many sensors are placed outdoors.

4.2 Smart Agriculture Using LoRaWAN and Soil Sensors

In recent years, the demand for smart agriculture utilizing soil sensors and wireless communications has been increasing. Wireless operation is highly efficient for sensing soil conditions across a wide area or from a remote location. Therefore, the introduction of LPWA is attracting attention, because it has low power consumption, significantly reduces the frequency of battery replacement, and enables long-range wireless communication.
When conducting central management on an agricultural site or using it on farmland that is far from urban areas and settlements including mountainous areas, the non-cellular LPWA-based LoRaWAN is an effective solution because it can be used without considering contracts with carriers or whether the area is covered by the carrier base stations.
Furthermore, because Murata's soil sensors (able to simultaneously measure the EC [electric conductivity], Moisture [volumetric water content], and Temperature in the soil or water) and LoRaWAN modules are compact and able to withstand harsh environments, they enable stable applications that can be used outdoors.

For details about Murata's soil sensors, see the link below.
Soil sensor｜Murata Manufacturing (murata.com)

4.3 Community Infrastructure Smart Meters Using LoRaWAN

In the past, meter readers had to go on-site to check community infrastructure such as water, electricity, and gas. There have been an increasing number of successful examples in recent years where LoRaWAN modules were equipped in a large number of meters installed in an area to reduce the effort and cost of meter reading by gathering the usage data through LoRaWAN.
Moreover, this also makes it possible to detect excessive usage over a long period of time or suspension to send out alerts or remotely control the shutoff and restarting of supply services. In addition, because LoRaWAN is non-cellular LPWA, it can be introduced and operated without being tied to a carrier's service area.

4.4 Adding Intelligence to a Solar Power Plant Using LoRaWAN

LoRaWAN can also be used in the renewable energy field. Because the panels for solar power generation placed across a large site are each connected to electrical transmission cables and other equipment, systems become complex when using long wired cables for data communication, which is essential to IoT, and the number of inspection points also increases. Utilizing the low power consumption and long-range communication of LoRaWAN to achieve wireless data communication for sensing and panel control enables simple, rational, and low-cost operation. Moreover, because the LoRaWAN modules have low power consumption and a long battery lifetime, they dramatically decrease the frequency of battery replacement and other forms of maintenance.

5. LoRaWAN Modules From Murata Manufacturing

Murata Manufacturing produces compact and high-quality non-cellular LPWA (LoRaWAN) and cellular LPWA (LTE-M/NB-IoT) modules. The following section introduces the features and lineup of the LoRaWAN modules from Murata.

5.1 Features of the LoRaWAN Modules From Murata Manufacturing

The LoRaWAN modules, which Murata Manufacturing provides to a diverse range of fields and applications all over the world, offer the following features.

• Compact size that does not require an external host
  While being compact, Murata's LoRaWAN modules are equipped with an application processor, which means that they do not require an external host.
  Moreover, these modules are available in two types consisting of the open MCU type and the AT command modem type.
• Low power consumption
  The modules have low power consumption and the batteries last for about 10 years, which significantly reduces the effort and cost required for battery replacement.
• Open MCU type
  Equipped with a Cortex M0+/M4 application processor as the MCU (Memory Control Unit). Users do not require an MCU host and can directly add the LoRaWAN stack, applications, and any device identifiers (MAC address, etc.) to the module for use as a standalone end node.
• AT command modem-type
  Easily control the LoRaWAN stack with AT commands that automatically execute the specified commands at the specified date and time.
• Already certified under the radio laws of major countries
  Murata's modules have already been certified under the CE mark and various other regulations, which means that end devices equipped with them can be easily certified during productization.
• Simple PCB design
  The simple PCB design reduces the module manufacturing cost and price.
• Design that considers the antenna performance
  The antenna evaluation is conducted before the prototyping of the module PCB, which enables the antenna to be used at a high level of performance.
• Worldwide sales channels
  Murata's LoRaWAN modules can be obtained in any quantity through various sales channels around the world.
• Quality and durability
  Murata's LoRaWAN modules are subjected to mechanical and reliability testing to withstand harsh environments.
• Highly competitive modules
  We reduce the overall costs including development, production, etc. Using Murata's modules will enable you to rapidly bring products to market in a stress-free manner.

5.2 Lineup of LoRaWAN Modules

At Murata Manufacturing, we offer a lineup of LoRaWAN-compliant LPWA modules that are widely supported for their superior specifications that balance communication speed and distance among the many non-cellular LPWA standards.

Non-cellular LPWA Module Type ABZ (CMWX1ZZABZ)

Other Links

• Features of Murata's LPWA
• LPWA Products Video Library

Related products

LPWA Products LoRa (LoRaWAN) Modules

Soil sensor

Related articles

• LoRaWAN (Non-cellular LPWA) Primer – From Fundamentals to IoT Application Examples (1)