Introduction LPWAN Cookbook

I’ve been in the wireless industry for over 30 years, witnessing its evolution from the days before “IoT” and “LPWAN” existed. We started with basic data communication using Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) on private mobile radios, achieving 3600 bits per second speeds. Planning was done manually, and coverage was tested with simple transmitters.

Today, LPWANs are divided into public and private networks. Anyone can set up a private LPWAN using technologies like LoRaWAN or Mioty. In Germany, NB-IoT and LTE-M are available nationwide, along with local city-wide LPWANs and public networks like Sigfox and Wize.

NB-IoT and LTE-M stand out by combining cellular networks with LPWAN, featuring advanced power management that extends device life up to 10 years. If public coverage is insufficient, setting up a private network is an option.

The LPWAN Cookbook guides planning, simulating, and testing private LPWANs. It includes a case study of my birthplace, Kirchheim, with detailed data and antenna specifications. The book also compares major LPWAN technologies, highlighting their unique features.

My goal is to help wireless application developers by sharing my experience and providing practical advice for selecting the right LPWAN technology. In 2017, I launched reference designs for LPWAN called akorIoT, drawing on my experience in developing antennas and LPWAN devices. This book aims to guide developers and end customers in choosing the best LPWAN technology for their projects.

The version with 240+ pages DIN in format DIN A4 I can deliver since December 2024. Updates for the next 2 years are included free of charge. Register to get updates and the release date of the LPWAN Cookbook here.

Table of contents of the LPWAN Cookbook

1. Why Did I Write the LPWAN Cookbook?

2. A Look Back at the History of Communication Technology

2.1 From 0G in 1918 to Private 5G in 2019

2.2 Evolution of Mobile Communication from UMTS to 5G

2.3 UMTS and HSPA: A Global Standard under 3GPP

2.4 My experience in the nineties – Planning and installation of radio networks

3. How to set up a private LPWAN

3.1 Intro to the private LPWAN for a village and a town in Germany

3.2 Radio propagation basics

3.2.1 Quick overview for planning, simulation and testing a private LPWAN

3.2.2 What is a Radio Propagation Model like Okumura-Hata?

3.2.3 Free field loss

3.2.4 How to calculate the link budget in LPWAN

3.2.5 LPWAN gateway in the middle of the North Sea – k-factor

3.2.6 LPWAN gateway in the middle of the North Sea – Fresnel zone

3.3 LPWAN gateway on a farm in Australia – diffraction of the radio wave

3.4 LPWAN Gateway antenna selection

3.4.1 LPWAN gateway antenna gain

3.4.2 Antenna Diagram of the LPWAN Gateway

3.5 Software for Simulating Private LPWANs

3.6 Settings for Simulation in Radio Mobile Online

3.7 Planing of private LPWAN for the community of Kirchheim

3.7.1 Basic considerations for LPWAN planning

3.8 Simulation of private LPWAN

3.8.1 The first LPWAN gateway for Kirchheim in the state of Hesse

3.9 Input and Management of Sites for the LPWAN in Kirchheim

3.9.1 The First Site for the Private LPWAN in Kirchheim

3.9.2 The second site for the private LPWAN in Kirchheim

3.9.3 The third LPWAN gateway site – Allendorf

3.9.4 The fourth LPWAN gateway site – Kemmerrode

3.9.5 The fifth LPWAN Gateway site – Reimboldhausen

3.9.6 The sixth LPWAN Gateway site – Gershausen

3.9.7 The seventh to ninth LPWAN gateway

3.9.8 The tenth LPWAN Gateway site – Willingshain

3.9.9 The eleventh LPWAN Gateway site – Frielingen

3.9.10 The twelfth LPWAN Gateway site – Heddersdorf

3.10 Conclusion of LPWAN Planning for Kirchheim with the Heddersdorf Gateway

3.11 Recommendations for Improvement (in German)

3.11.1 Summary of the gateways for the Gemeinde Kircheim

3.12 Explanation of the Map and Coverage Visualization

3.12.1 Further LPWAN gateway sites for the community of Kircheim

3.13 Installation of private LPWAN

3.13.1 Local building law and the installation of an antenna system

3.13.2 Lightning Protection Requirements for Antenna Masts in Europe

4. LPWA technologies explained

4.1 Sigfox

4.1.1 Duty cycle (EU) and channel assignment 400 ms (US)

4.2 Sigfox Radio Configurations and Country Allocation

4.2.1 Modulation types with Sigfox protocol

4.2.2 From BPSK to DPSK

4.2.3 BPSK and DPSK: A Comparative Overview

4.2.4 GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying):

4.2.5 A comprehensive overview of Sigfox

4.2.6 Insight into Sigfox frames

4.2.7 Fundamentale Prinzipien der Sigfox-Effizienz

4.3 Sigfox Network Architecture: Efficient Data Upload Optimised for IoT Applications

4.3.1 Sigfox Classes in Detail

4.4 LoRaWAN

4.4.1 Milestones of CSS, LoRa and LoRaWAN

4.5 The Physical Layer (PHY) Called LoRa

4.5.1 Server in an LoRaWAN Network

4.5.2 LoRaWAN Message and Device Classes

4.5.3 Frequency spectrum and bandwidth LoRaWAN in Europe

4.5.4 LoRaWAN Implementation Guide: How to Deploy LoRaWAN in IoT Networks

4.6 Mioty / TS-UNB

4.6.1 Milestones: MSK, Telegramm-Splitting and TS-UNB/Mioty

4.6.2 Minimum Shift Keying (MSK): A Detailed Analysis of Efficient Data Transmission with Minimal Bandwidth

4.6.3 Telegram Splitting – Patented and Unique with TS-UNB

4.6.4 Device classes in TS-UNB

4.6.5 TS-UNB Low Latency (LL) Mode: Minimal Latency for Time-Critical IoT Applications

4.6.6 TS-UNB Service Center

4.7 Wize Protokoll

4.7.1 Milestones of Wize Technology

4.7.2 Key Characteristics of Wize (EN 13757-4 Mode N)

4.7.3 Implementation Guide: How to Deploy Wize in Metering Networks

4.7.4 Technical Details of the Wize Protocol

4.7.5 Wize Protocol: Efficient Data Transmission in the Internet of Things

4.7.6 Wize Security Concept: Protection and Flexibility for the Internet of Things

4.7.7 Common and Specific Application Layers in the Wize Protocol

4.7.8 Precise Frequency Calibration

4.7.9 Data Formats in the Wize Protocol

4.7.10 Conclusion: Wize Protocol

4.8 NB-IoT – LPWAN in cellular networks

4.8.1 NB-IoT modulation schemes

4.8.2 Four-Step Procedure of Random Access in NB-IoT

4.8.3 New Features in NB-IoT from Release 14 to 18

4.8.4 NB-IoT Release 14 (NB2) – Enhanced Functions for the Internet of Things

4.8.5 NB-IoT Release 15 – A Detailed Look at New Features for the Internet of Things

4.8.6 NB-IoT Release 17: Device-Edge-Cloud Interaction

4.8.7 NB-IoT Release 18: Enhanced Integration and New Features

5. NB-IoT in Practice

5.1.1 Energy Saving in NB-IoT versus GSM / LTE

5.1.2 NB-IoT Reattach with 154 dB Link Budget and No Receiving Window

5.1.3 NB-IoT Reattach without TAU including 12 Byte payload

5.1.4 NB-IoT Reattach w/o TAU including 12 Byte payload and minimum timer

5.1.5 NB-IoT Reattach w/o TAU including 360 Byte payload and minimum timer

5.1.6 Practical Guide: Independently Testing NB-IoT Parameters

5.1.7 NB-IoT energy saving by the right antenna system

6. Comparison of Technical Parameters in LPWAN: Facts Instead of Marketing

6.1 Payload Size per Message in Leading LPWAN Technologies

6.2 Message Capacity in LPWAN

6.2.1 Message Capacity per Minute for Sigfox Base Stations

6.2.2 Capacity of LoRaWAN Gateways

6.2.3 Capacity of Wize gateways

6.2.4 Capacity of Mioty Base Stations

6.2.5 Capacity of a Typical NB-IoT Base Station

6.3 Link Budget, Range and Penetration – Extension and Comparison

6.4 Frequency Bands and Channel Structures of LPWAN Technologies

6.5 Interference Immunity in LPWAN Technologies

6.6 Cost Structure of the Bill of Materials in LPWAN Projects

6.7 Integration into Mobile and Satellite-Based Applications

6.7.1 Tehnical Challenges of Mobile Applications

6.8 Evolution of a Low Power Wide Area Network System

6.9 1.3 Energy Consumption in Low Power Wide Area Networks

6.10 Interference and Bandwidth: Mioty versus LoRaWAN – Technical Analysis and Critical Evaluation

6.11 Comparison of Node Density per Infrastructure: LoRaWAN in Lyon, TS-UNB in Garbsen, and Wize as Reference

6.12 Additional Low-Power Wide Area Networks