CubeCell - LoRaWAN Class C doubts

#1

Hi there,

I have some CubeCell – Dev-Board (V2), and I would like to use them with LoRaWAN… but not as a normal use case (that is to say, either class A or B), since I need them to be listening all the time in order to receive actions to be executed.

I can see that this device can be configured as a LoRaWAN Class C (Arduino configurations), which may fit it perfectly with what I want to develop, but as far I was able to dig in this forum, all people outcomes speaking about this topic are not very good at all.

Other choice I have in mind is to avoid LoRaWAN protocol and use LoRa radio layer directly instead.

Thanks beforehand, looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards.
Daniel.

#2

The basic sender/receiver might be what you are looking for.
https://github.com/HelTecAutomation/CubeCell-Arduino/tree/master/libraries/LoRa/examples/LoRaBasic

Not LoRaWan C but LoRa always on type transfer.

#3

I have used the cubecells in class C mode using chirpstack as the lorawan stack with my own private gateways. The devices are set to class c in chirpstack and they have no issues sending periodic data, and receiving commands/data whenever sent (as long as they don’t happen simultaneously with a timed uplink)

#4

Hi there,

Thank you very much for your replies.

Regarding the one from @jwyatt

I have used the cubecells in class C mode using chirpstack as the lorawan stack with my own private gateways. The devices are set to class c in chirpstack and they have no issues sending periodic data, and receiving commands/data whenever sent (as long as they don’t happen simultaneously with a timed uplink)

Well, that is not the approach I am looking for, I have the intention to receive data at any time, not only by either using the piggybacking technique (class A) or within any reception windows (which I think is more a class B than C). This flow-chart is highly important since it is an alarm that has to be received in order to indicate a person that has to leave the place due to a dangerous situation.

I believe that the device I have to place to each person is one similar to a gateway… which obviously, is not feasible under any circumstances for many reasons.

Regarding the one from @dstacer

The basic sender/receiver might be what you are looking for.
https://github.com/HelTecAutomation/CubeCell-Arduino/tree/master/libraries/LoRa/examples/LoRaBasic

Not LoRaWan C but LoRa always on type transfer.

Yes, that was initially my plan B (LoRa radio/P2P), and the one more likely to be developed when the time comes.

Again, thank you for your answers, looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards.
Daniel.

#5

Maybe I’m not understanding, if so - please explain more.

I have cubecell devices - they are set to class c. These devices do not go to sleep, and will recieve anything the network sends to them.

They can also send whenever they like.

They just can’t do both simultaneously.
There is a limitation of lora devices that they can’t send and receive at exactly the same time - this does not change lora or lorawan.

In my case I have a private lorawan network. However a public one that supports class c should also be fine.

What am I missing?

#6

Hi @jwyatt

Forgive me, I think it was me who misunderstood your first reply.

I thought that class C were reserved only for LoRaWAN gateways and it could not be used by, let’s say, sensor devices. And what additionally confused me is that the CubeCell can be configured as A or C, but not B.

So, as a summarize, I can set the device as a class C and receive at any time information from the LoRaWAN gateway (with device sleep exception for obvious reasons), am I right?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards.
Daniel.

#7

Yes, that is correct

#8

Hi @jwyatt

Understood, it is clear to me, now I need a LoRaWAN gateway in order to orchestrate all data exchange.

I have a RPi with a Dragino Lora/GPS hat, yet unfortunately, this cannot act as a multichannel gateway, a limitation that I cannot afford in this case… but since it is something not related to the CubeCell boards, it is exclusively up to me how to fix it.

Thank you very much for the whole support!

Kind regards.
Daniel.