Semtech, a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and algorithms, has announced the addition of multi-band capabilities to its LoRa Edge device-to-cloud geolocation platform. The LoRa Edge LR1120 solution, according to the company, is designed to allow for direct satellite-connected Internet of Things (IoT) applications in supply chain management and logistics, with low-power geolocation on a global scale.
“Semtech’s LoRa is targeting track-and-trace challenges faced by the logistics industry today with a geolocation IoT platform adapted to global transportation and mass-scale asset management,” said Marc Pégulu, the VP of IoT product marketing with Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group, in a prepared statement. “With the launch of multi-band LoRa support, coupled with LoRa Cloud services, it has never been easier to expand ubiquitous IoT connectivity and geolocation globally.”
LoRa Trackers for Logistics
Semtech’s LoRa LR1120
With the LoRa Edge LR1120, Semtech explains, intercontinental logistics companies can employ integrated, ultra-low-power trackers with interoperability, as well as connectivity for simpler operation and global mobility across multiple regulatory regions. The technology comprises a low-power sensor with satellite connectivity, which the company says offers multiple use cases in infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and environmental monitoring that require deployment in remote areas and tend to be capital-intensive.
“Combining LoRa with small, relatively low-cost LEO satellites will change the game for LoRa and IoT,” added Christopher Taylor, Strategy Analytics‘ director of RF and wireless technologies, in the prepared statement. “Adding satellite communication capabilities in the S-band to LoRa can help replace aging SCADA monitoring and opens up new applications and markets, especially in remote regions.” Taylor noted that LoRa technology has attracted the interest of several satellite companies, including EchoStar and Lacuna.
Semtech described its LoRa device-to-cloud platform as a long-range, low-power solution for IoT applications, built to enable the rapid development and deployment of ultra-low-power, cost-efficient and long-range IoT networks, gateways, sensors, module products and IoT services. The company’s LoRa technology provides the communication layer for the LoRaWAN standard, which companies throughout more than 170 countries have used while deploying IoT networks.
Key Features of the LoRa Edge LR1120
- Multi-band LoRa capability (sub-GHz, 2.4 GHz and licensed S-band for satellite)
- Multi-technology geolocation using GNSS for outdoor use and Wi-Fi for use indoors, as well as areas in which satellite coverage is poor
- The LoRa Cloud geolocation solver, which transfers the location-processing workload from the device to the cloud, making “deploy once” battery life possible
- Supported by GPS and BeiDou constellations
- A hardware crypto engine for increased security
Exhibitors at RFID Journal LIVE! 2022 will offer asset-tracking solutions for supply chain management and logistics. To learn more, visit the event’s website.