ATIM - Gw (ATIM) Technical Overview
Working Principle
The ATIM-Gw, also known as the ATIM LoRaWAN Gateway, is a high performance, low power wide-area network (LPWAN) gateway created to primarily support LoRaWAN protocol. It's designed to transmit and receive data from LoRaWAN devices in a specific range and forward them to a network server.
ATIM-Gw operates by listening to multiple frequency channels and demodulating the incoming RF signal emitted by end-devices (like sensors or trackers) to get the data. This data is then forwarded to a network server via IP connections either through Ethernet or cellular network.
Installation Guide
- Choose a location that is central to the LoRaWAN devices it will be connected to, preferably at a high elevation point to maximize coverage.
- Connect the Gateway to the internet using an Ethernet cable or through a cellular network.
- Connect the gateway to its power source and turn it on
- The Gateway will automatically start scanning for signals from LoRaWAN devices within its range.
LoRaWAN Details
LoRaWAN is a media access control (MAC) protocol for wide area networks used for low-powered devices, designed to allow low-powered devices to communicate with Internet-connected applications over long-range wireless connections. The ATIM-Gw is compatible with the LoRaWAN protocol 1.0.2 and supports LoRaWAN Class A,C protocols, allowing for adaptive data rate (ADR), which optimizes both the uplink and downlink communication for energy efficiency and reliability.
Power Consumption
ATIM-Gw is designed for low power consumption while maintaining high performance, enabling the use of the device for extensive periods before requiring a power source replenishment. Its nominal power consumption ranges around 12-24V DC depending on the mode of operation.
Use Cases
ATIM-Gw is ideal in wide-ranging scenarios such as:
- Smart Grids & Energy Monitoring: Enables real-time monitoring of energy consumption and helps in automated energy management.
- Smart Agriculture: Facilitates monitoring of farming conditions like temperature, humidity, soil moisture and encourages precision farming.
- Asset Tracking: Allows businesses to monitor and trace their valuable assets seamlessly.
- Smart City applications, monitoring environmental parameters, traffic patterns, etc.
Limitations
- Range: While the ATIM-Gw promises a wide range, it is affected significantly by obstacles between the gateway and the end devices such as buildings or trees.
- Interference: While LoRaWAN protocol is designed to be robust against interference, issues can still occur in areas with high RF noise.
- Device Support: The ATIM-Gw only supports LoRaWAN end devices, and you will need a different gateway for devices that support a different protocol.
- Dependency on Network Coverage: ATIM-Gw needs an active internet connection to forward data to a network server.
- Power: Although the power consumption is low, ATIM‐Gw does not run on batteries and still requires connection to a power source - not suitable where power source is not readily available or in ultra-low power applications.