Hello all
I have met LoRa some days ago and I found it pretty interesting. I'm planning to deploy a private local network using LoRa but I'm so confused! I would appriciate if you help me through these questions:

1- What is the difference between a LoRa module and a LoRaWAN module practically?
2- Can a LoRaWAN gateway like IMST IC880A communicate with a LoRa module?
3- IMST IC880A specifications says that it has 8 channels. What is a channel? Does it mean that IMST IC880A supports 8 simultaneous connection? An SX1272 module has only one single channel, so it meas it only supports a single connection at a time?

And finally I'm planning to buy some SX1272 LoRa modules as end-devices and an IMST IC880A module for gateway. Is this scenario practical?

Thanks in advance

Hello xubin,

We recommed to take a view to our documentation in:
http://www.libelium.com/development/was ... networking
http://www.libelium.com/downloads/docum ... -guide.pdf
http://www.libelium.com/downloads/docum ... _guide.pdf
http://www.libelium.com/development/was ... s-lorawan/


We have never used this gateway.


All information about LoRa channels are defined in LoRa Specifications provided by LoRa Alliance:
https://www.lora-alliance.org/portals/0 ... %201R0.pdf

Eight channels of upstream allows communication eight simultaneous channels at same time.
LoRa modules only can send information over one channel at the same time.


It seems like it is possible but we do not handle the IMST IC880A, and we can not assert that it work. Consult your gateway manufacturer.
Regards

Thanks for your reply.

Don't you think that this may cause some problems? e.g. when more than one end-devices want to send data at a same time! What happens in this case?

Since WASPMOTE GATEWAY uses the same SX1272 chip as SX1272 LoRa module uses, I think it is possible to use SX1272 LoRa module for both gateway and end-device. Gateway is connected to the an e.g. RPi which which has access to the Internet and the end-device is connected to an e.g. Arduino. If this is possible, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this method?

Hello xubin,

This is not a problem, it is a inherent limitation in LoRa SX1272.


If you want more than one end-devices will send data at same time you need a multichannel concentrator as gateway.

The SX1272 module in Waspmote is the same that CookingHacks.

You can use a SX1272 module as one channel concentrator by polling the end devices.

You must noticed that the time of transmission in LoRa protocol is rotatively sort so the occupation of the channel is equally short so you can share the channel.

All the information about the channel occupation is provided in the previously attached documentation.
Regards