Presented here are recent news announcements regarding the following organizations: the LoRa Alliance, Identiv, Kerlink, CITiLIGHT, TSC Printronix Auto ID and Atmosic.
LoRa Alliance Expands LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool Capabilities
The LoRa Alliance, a global association of companies backing the open LoRaWAN standard for Internet of Things (IoT)-based low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs), has announced that it has expanded LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool (LCTT) functionality with the addition of numerous new testing capabilities. This, the organization explains, increases the level of self-testing that end-device manufacturers can perform to validate device performance before seeking certification.
“A strong certification program is a must for any global standard to be successful,” said Donna Moore, the LoRa Alliance’s CEO and chairwoman, in a prepared statement. “The LoRa Alliance continuously enhances its certification program to ensure certification testing tools are robust, while also minimizing the time and cost required to certify. RFPs and tenders for IoT deployments are increasingly requiring LoRaWAN certification. These enhancements to the LCTT make it easier than ever for end-device manufacturers to validate reliability and interoperability, thereby accelerating deployment effectiveness and enabling massive scale.”
New testing capabilities incorporated into the LCTT include LoRaWAN Layer 2 (L2) v1.0.2 and v1.0.4 specifications (Class A, B and C); long-range frequency-hopping spread spectrum (LR-FHSS); back-off retransmission; certification by similarity; regional parameters v1.02 and 1.03; OTAA or ABP; adaptive data rate; transmit power control; confirmed or unconfirmed frame tests; receive window tests; cryptography tests; add or modify channel tests; and retransmission of confirmed frames.
Manufacturers can debug and finalize end-devices prior to the formal certification process. Customers can be assured certified devices are reliable within their networks, where channel plans are supported or when roaming. Future-proofing of such devices through demonstrated interoperability is thus possible, while companies can meet the expectations of LoRaWAN network operators requiring certification when deploying rapid, large-scale solutions. Testing is supported in most countries worldwide, the organization reports, with 17 test houses worldwide supporting LoRaWAN certification testing.
Identiv Offers On-Metal UHF RFID Labels
Identiv reports that its thin, flexible, on-metal portfolio enables users to tag and track metallic items via ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID. The company’s UHF RFID TOM (tag on metal) labels can be applied to any type of metal item, Identiv reports, making it suitable for such industrial applications as container tracking, metal-based commodities and goods, bike tagging and automotive uses.
The TOM label portfolio, according to the company, can be used for tracking any metallic items, regardless of whether a surface is flat or bent. The labels measure around 1 millimeter (0.04 inch) in thickness, with an antenna thickness of 120 micrometers (0.005 inch), making it flexible and bendable for various use cases. The tags are available with customized artwork and are printable on transfer printers, with the labels delivered on a roll and ready for use
The TOM tags are designed to be resistant to surrounding interfering materials and are usable on any surface, according to the company. The UHF TOM Base is intended for application on metal, with a read range of around 4.5 meters (14.8 feet). The UHF TOM Pro is more resistant to surrounding interfering materials, with a read range of about 11 meters (35 feet), and can be applied to convex or concave arched metal surfaces.
Kerlink, CITiLIGHT Collaborate on LoRaWAN Street Lighting
Following the launch of its iStation LoRaWAN gateway, Kerlink, a provider of IoT solutions, has partnered with CITiLIGHT, a smart-lighting solution provider in India, to deploy smart street-lighting projects in that country and internationally. CITiLIGHT’s systems manage more than one million streetlights in India, and the company completed six projects using Kerlink’s IoT gateways in 2021, including one in the Thane district of Maharashtra. The latter covers an area of 67 square kilometers (25.9 square miles) and includes 35,000 lights, 18,000 of which operate with LoRaWAN technology.
CITiLIGHT has completed smart-lighting projects in 112 municipalities and five smart cities, as well as in other districts throughout India. Its solutions automatically manage streetlights, road lights and highway lights via VELOCITi LMS (Lighting Management System), the company’s Web- and smartphone-compatible application that controls light-change schedules, detects faults and notifies system owners about their streetlight networks on a real-time basis.
CITiLIGHT’s LoRaWAN smart-lighting projects are powered by Kerlink’s Wirnet iStations, a long-range, low-power gateway that comes with features for remote monitoring and radio network configuration. These gateways are designed to meet the requirements of municipalities and other users looking to adopt IoT technologies in customized networks able to connect high volumes of end devices and manage millions of bidirectional messages daily. More than 100 of these gateways have been installed in India’s smart-lighting systems to date, the company reports.
CITiLIGHT estimates that streetlighting consumes as much as 40 percent of the power used by municipal infrastructure, and that smart systems can increase citizens’ safety by reducing the number of street accidents. “Kerlink and CITiLIGHT plan to grow in India and internationally,” said Girish Dadheech, the VP of Kerlink India, in a prepared statement, “by designing and deploying smart street lighting projects in Europe and the Untied States, where we can expect much higher adoption rates for these technologically advanced smart-lighting solutions.”
“CITiLIGHT’s growth strategy is to develop cutting-edge, intelligent streetlight and IoT solutions that impact lives, which is in line with its mission to impact a billion lives globally by 2025,” added Aman Chawla, CITiLIGHT’s founder, in the prepared statement. “Both of our companies are leaders in their respective domains, and with this collaboration we aim to set benchmarks for deployments and accelerate the pace at which the smart-city lighting projects are executed here and abroad.”
TSC Printronix Auto ID Unveils Onsite Servicing for Industrial Printers
TSC Auto ID Technology has announced that its On-Site Service Program, previously available only in Europe for its Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise devices, is now available across its entire range of industrial and industrial enterprise printers. As the company explains, businesses need to be able to reliably produce barcode labels on demand since even short, unplanned disruptions and failures can result in delays and added costs. Therefore, the On-Site Service Program is available for all TSC industrial and Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise printers.
“Whether you’re a large or small company, you don’t need unpleasant surprises,” said André van Swaaij, the manager of services and customer solutions for TSC Auto ID Technology, in a prepared statement. “In supply chain productivity, you need to keep things moving and ensure your printers are performing optimally at all times.” The program can be purchased with any new TSC industrial printer or Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise printer, or it can be added later. This helps to ensure that TSC devices are kept in good order by certified TSC technicians, the company explains, and the program includes labor costs, travel expenses and spare parts.
Bringing service programs on TSC printers in line with Printronix Auto ID devices enables TSC to support both brands, the company reports. “Having tailor-made service and maintenance contracts on both TSC and Printronix Auto ID industrial and industrial enterprise printers helps companies forecast service costs over a fixed period of time allowing complex work to be planned and budgeted for,” van Swaaij added in the prepared statement. “Faults can also be quickly and professionally resolved, and defective devices repaired at short notice or exchanged.”
Atmosic Receives Funding for Energy-Harvesting Bluetooth 5.3 SoCs
Atmosic, a provider of energy-harvesting wireless platforms for the Internet of Things, has announced $72 million in new funding led by Sutter Hill Ventures. Atmosic is also unveiling its new ATM33 Series Bluetooth 5.3 family of system-on-chips (SoCs), which leverage energy-harvesting technology to provide energy efficiency while eliminating the cost and waste of replacing batteries frequently in connected products.
“We continue to see tremendous market growth for wireless battery-powered devices, especially in consumer, home and industrial applications,” said Stefan Dyckerhoff, the managing director at Sutter Hill Ventures and a member of Atmosic’s board of directors, in a prepared statement. “It is exciting to see Atmosic leverage its breakthrough low-power and energy-harvesting technologies to expand its portfolio and gain customer traction in these markets.”
Atmosic’s business has grown during the past year, the company reports, with an increase in shipments and an expansion of its customer base. This includes a recent partnership announcement with Universal Electronics Inc., a provider of wireless universal control solutions for home entertainment and smart-home devices.
“Atmosic’s strong growth is proof of the demand for more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient solutions to reduce the billions of batteries that are disposed of every year,” added David Su, Atmosic’s CEO, in the prepared statement. “With this new funding and the introduction of the ATM33 series, Atmosic is setting a new benchmark for the IoT industry with best-in-class power-efficiency and performance to fulfill our mission of a battery-free IoT.”