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LoRa 结合 BLE 创建混合物联网连接

Written by Carlo Tinella | 08 September 2021

在连接物联网 (IoT) 器件时,没有一种万能协议可适用于所有用例。每个连接选项都要在功耗、带宽和范围之间取舍。

幸运的是,用户现在可以将长距离和短距离连接结合为一个混合模块。集成 LoRa® 和低功耗蓝牙 (BLE) 可产生协同效应,在生产低成本基础设施的同时最大限度地提高效率。

蓝牙技术能够在短距离内(通常小于 10 米)连续发送数据。蓝牙最初用于消费类器件之间的点对点或点对多点数据交换。蓝牙 BLE 针对功耗进行了优化,适合小型消费类物联网应用,包括健身和医疗可穿戴设备以及智能家居器件,可在流式传输音频文件或小视频文件时取代电缆和电线。它成功成为了智能手机、平板电脑或笔记本电脑与临近的智能器件进行通信的首选协议,如用于配置或更新其固件。BLE 是高吞吐量短距离通信的理想选择。

另一方面,Semtech 的 LoRa 器件到云平台和 LoRaWAN® 标准专为长距离低功耗无线连接而设计,以更好地服务于智能计量、智慧城市、庞大地理区域资产追踪和工业监测等应用。

When BLE and LoRa are combined, the whole technology is greater than the sum of its parts and provides benefits to customers in the following use-cases:

传输大文件

在电网基础设施中,LoRa 可发送定期读表数,实现最低总拥有成本 (TCO)。使用混合物联网,偶尔通过传感器传输大型数据文件要容易得多。例如,当必须通过空中固件更新 (FUOTA) 重新配置传感器时,可能需要传输大文件。 

Easy Access

For general installers or technicians, the process of controlling sensor devices does not require special skills or extensive knowledge how to connect with a LoRaWAN network. Rather, commissioning and diagnosing the device is as straightforward as a consumer-like solution and can be accomplished from a phone or laptop.

Backup Connectivity

If there is an issue with the sensor being unable to send data or an area with low coverage from a low power wide area network (LPWAN), backup BLE connectivity can be used to access the accumulated data. This guaranteed backup access and control provides fail-safe connectivity and prevents loss of valuable information.

Expand Asset Tracking

For tracking valuable goods traveling on a container or pallet, LoRa is widely used to enable the tracking of moving assets with GNSS location scanning over a large geographic area. Yet, leveraging an infrastructure that already has BLE beaconing deployed can extend indoor location coverage.

Upgraded BLE Network

Enhancing a preexisting BLE short-range sensing network with a straight-to-Cloud low power long range LoRaWAN connectivity has many advantages. For instance, industrial IoT applications may already have some installed wireless sensors that use BLE. Now, with the installation of a LoRa plus BLE module, there is a BLE network bridging LoRaWAN to uplink consolidated information into the Cloud – replacing the existing operator’s time-consuming and costly manual reading process

我们开始看到客户在欧洲、美国和亚太地区的各种 sub-GHz ISM 频段中广泛采用这种 BLE 芯片与 Semtech 全 LoRa 产品组合中产品的混合组合,每个频段都有不同的 sub-GHz 频率要求。

另一方面,我们也看到全球可互操作单频的生态系统和需求在不断增长。应用开发商和网络供应商需要一种能在全球范围内以统一频率提供远距离低功耗连接的解决方案。

引入 LoRa 2.4GHz 以最大化与 BLE 的协同效应

With the LoRa 2.4GHz chip SX1280, customers can leverage the connectivity capabilities of LoRa technology in the 2.4GHz ISM band with a full edge-to-Cloud solution. When combined with BLE, the integration works even better and at a lower cost. Essentially, the two technologies transmit data on the exact same band frequency for a more compact integration.

Sharing the same radio frequency (RF) band allows manufacturers to design for a single RF path. This functionality makes the design process simpler and at a lower cost because you only have one antenna, resulting in lower bill of materials (BOM).

Miromico, an innovative high-tech company focusing on design services and products in the areas of integrated circuits, elecronic systems and software, pushed even further the integration and cost synergies between LoRa 2.4GHz and Bluetooth.

With its new IoT module FMLR-8x-x-STLx, Miromico has been able to leverage SX1280 also to run the BLE physical layer, removing the need for multiple transceivers. As a result, its customers can already utilize this multitechnology solution through a very integrated and low-cost module for track and trace, building automation, construction monitoring, mining, farming, telemetry, and remote data logging applications. This pin-compatible FMLR radio module allows Miromico and its customers to let any of their FMLR-radio-module based IoT sensors and devices benefit from the long range advantage of LoRa and huge IoT ecosystem, combined with BLE’s smartphone connectivity. Thanks to the 2.4GHz ISM frequency band, the devices can be used anywhere on the globe.

Hybrid solutions bring what once were considered competing technologies into a holistic offering that combines the strengths of combined connectivity protocols.

在我们的网站上探索 LoRa 2.4GHz 产品。

Semtech、Semtech 徽标和 LoRa 是 Semtech Corporation 或其附属公司的注册商标或服务商标。