LoRa technology & industrial monitoring deployment

Long-range, low-power radio technology

The LoRa (Long Range) network allows for the establishment of private networks with secure and encrypted communication. Consequently, data is controlled and remains locally with the operator, independent of a slice of any telecommunication operator. The range between transmitter and receiver is 500m (with a record at over 40 km), which allows coverage of an entire industrial site using a few antennas while ensuring redundancy in case of failure. Installation is less costly and simpler than wired solutions. Hardware can run on battery with a lifespan of approximately 5 years.

Another advantage of this solution is the ability to retrieve valuable data from installations such as main low-voltage switchboards (TGBT) or compressors, which are rarely connected to the Ethernet network. This technology is ideal for monitoring slow-changing signals (energy, temperature, etc.) where the data refresh interval is greater than 10 minutes. It is therefore not suitable for process monitoring requiring faster sampling rates.

Deployment of a private LoRa network on an industrial site

Key steps:

• Identification of relevant data collection areas & definition of the metering plan

• Analysis of the industrial site topology (building heights, surface area, location of server racks...)

• Proposed placement and temporary installation of antennas to test network coverage

• Adjustment of positions based on test results

• Final installation of antennas

• Installation & configuration of transmitters

• Data retrieval via the on-site LoRa network

• Decoding, processing, and delivery of data (e.g., via DATIVE graphical interfaces)

  
  
  Types of data retrieved and delivered via DATIVE solutions:
  
  Energy consumption measurements (e.g., Modbus RTU):
  
  

• Installation of industrial electrical meters (SOCOMEC/SCHNEIDER) integrated directly into your electrical cabinets and main low-voltage switchboards (TGBT), including protection and update of electrical schematics

• Installation of the LoRa transmitter and connection to the energy meter via Modbus RTU

• Configuration of the transmitter to retrieve data (voltage, current, power, energy cos(ϕ)...) and transmit it via the LoRa network

  
  Water consumption measurements (e.g., pulse data):
  
  

• Installation of a standard or ultrasonic (non-intrusive) flow meter, or adaptation to an existing flow meter

• Installation of the LoRa transmitter and connection to the pulse output of the adapter

• Configuration of the transmitter to count pulses and send them via the LoRa network periodically or based on events (e.g., every 100 pulses)

  
  

  Other types of retrieved data:
  
  

• Analog (0 - 10 V, 4 - 20 mA)

• Dry contacts (Binary status, pulses)

• Machine health status (vibration, acceleration, velocity, temperature...)

• …