IoT platform development: 3x efficiency boost with LoRaWAN to TCP converter

Enterprise

IoT

Telecom

Innowise has built a converter between LoRaWAN and TCP protocol for IoT device compatibility expansion.

Customer

Industry

IoT

Region

Europe

Client since

2020

The client is an IoT company providing end users and businesses with custom IoT modules operated by the M-Bus protocol. Detailed information about the client cannot be disclosed under the provisions of the NDA.

Challenge: Overcoming the limitations of LoRaWAN network

The client possesses a wide range of IoT modules communicating with each other and the server via the LoRaWAN network. The problem is that the network sets certain limitations for the package size (only 50 bytes), and the M-Bus protocol also makes the network relatively slow.
The client wanted an IoT network solution that would enhance device connectivity without the need to alter the hardware.

Solution: Creating a module that transfers LoRaWAN-compatible packages to a TCP network

Our team has built from scratch the test stand consisting of the IoT hardware, M-Bus gateways, the custom LoRaWAN/TCP converting module, the host server, and the master device.

IoT hardware

The hardware consists of various measuring devices communicating with the host and the master device via M-Bus gateways.

LoRaWAN/TCP converter

The major challenge for the system is to aggregate large data chunks and swiftly send them to the host and master devices. LoRaWAN network type won’t allow sending files heavier than 50 bytes, so that information should be accumulated somewhere else before being sent further, while the M-Bus protocol will slow down the data flow.To exclude these two factors from the equation, our engineers have redesigned an IoT network architecture and created a custom LoRaWAN-TCP protocol bridge that allows transmitting data sent through LoRaWAN to TCP networks that are much faster and capable of delivering heavy files.Every segment of the system is united via such converters. They gather data from the IoT devices related to them and transfer it further via TCP networks by the MQTT protocol. When the data reaches the master devices and the host, it’s operated by high-level software designed for working with MQTT messages.

Technologies

Platforms

Linux, POSIX

Programming languages

C++

Protocols

SMNP, MQTT, M-Bus

Network models

LoRaWAN, TCP/IP

Version control

Git, Conan, CMake

Process

Prior to beginning the project, our tech specialists performed an in-depth analysis of the client’s needs and designed a set of theoretically possible solutions before picking the existing one. We’ve decided that Agile is the most suitable software development methodology for this project.Our team documented the client’s problem and agreed on ways of solving it. During the development process, Innowise’s team has been holding daily team meetings and bi-weekly sprint reviews to show the progress to the customer and gather feedback from them.

Team

Team Lead

Back-end Developers

Manual QA Engineers

Automation QA Engineer

Solution Architect

Results

Innowise has built a system that allows our customer to keep the wired M-Bus protocol while getting rid of all its and LoRaWAN’s disadvantages in terms of data transfer in complex IoT systems.

Project duration

Since 2019
The project is still ongoing; at this stage, we support the platform and implement new protocols support

1,5

months for investigation

times more workload handled by the wireless IoT platform

Related cases

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