When building distributed battery powered sensor applications that rely on long-distance transmission of small amounts of data, three core requirements must be met: ultra-low power components, reliability in uncontrolled environments, and a relatively simple and scalable architecture. This makes LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) an ideal choice for scenarios such as smart buildings, campus environments, retail, and industrial monitoring.
LoRaWAN applications have transmission ranges of several miles, battery life of several years, and cost-effectiveness advantages. LoRaWAN communication can cover farms or factories through a single gateway without the need for cellular, Wi Fi, or mesh network routing.
In 2015, with the support of the LoRa Alliance, LoRaWAN was officially established as an open MAC layer and network architecture. It is an open, low-power wireless network protocol and architecture that outperforms alternative solutions such as cellular IoT, Wi Fi, BLE, Zigbee, Thread, and proprietary sub GHz radios in terms of scalability, simplicity, and interoperability.
The collaboration alliance between Digi and SparkFun is expected to accelerate the process from conceptual conception to actual deployment. The alliance integrates Digi's X-ON edge to cloud IoT platform with SparkFun's hardware, as well as Raspberry Pi microcontrollers.
Specifically, designers can utilize the SparkFun 26060 IoT Node development board (Figure 1), which has built-in Digi XBee LR wireless transceiver modules and a powerful Raspberry Pi 2350A.
Figure 1: The SparkFun 26060 IoT Node is equipped with a built-in Digi XBee transceiver, which enables connection to the Digi X-On cloud platform. (Image source: SparkFun)
This module is automatically connected to the Digi X-ON cloud IoT platform through the Digi HX15 LoRaWAN gateway (Figure 2). This gateway can be purchased separately or provided as part of the SparkFun 27213 Digi X-ON kit (North American version).
Figure 2: Digi's HX15 gateway provides a data interface for LoRaWAN sensors and can be connected to the Digi X-ON cloud platform via Ethernet or an optional LTE network. (Image source: Digi International)
The SparkFun Qwiic Connect ecosystem greatly simplifies the hardware expansion process with its continuously expanding library of over 100 plug and play sensors, actuators, and displays. All components of the system are interconnected through a universal I ² C interface and standardized 4-pin JST connectors. SparkFun's IoT Node comes with pre compiled firmware that automatically detects connected SparkFun Qwiic sensors and broadcasts data through LoRaWAN using the Digi XBee LR module. This module is connected to the HX15 gateway and pushes data to the Digi X-ON cloud platform via Ethernet or optional LTE. Digi X-ON has encrypted transmission capabilities from gateway to cloud, secure user access control, and device level metadata management capabilities.
For designers, there is no need to set up gateways or register LoRaWAN. They can utilize the zero configuration sensor access function to achieve cloud ready data flow from nodes to the cloud, without the need for user configuration, encoding, or MQTT proxy settings throughout the process. This makes rapid prototyping, concept validation, or deployment work almost without (if necessary) relying on LoRa or cloud technology expertise.
Designers can fine tune sampling rates, add support for more Qwiic sensors, or adjust payload formats without starting from scratch. The Digi X-ON platform provides a centralized view of all deployed nodes, tracking runtime, battery life, signal quality, and connection history - all key indicators for troubleshooting and optimizing distributed sensor networks.
Workflow flexibility
RP2350 provides unique workflow flexibility for product designers, supporting application development based on Arduino, MicroPython, and C/C++(using Pico SDK). Due to its compatibility with all three development environments, SparkFun IoT Node provides designers with ample choice and flexibility, allowing workflows to match their professional skills - from drag and drop scripting in Python to optimized C code development using hardware acceleration.
Designers can quickly develop application prototypes in MicroPython, test Qwiic compatible sensors in real-time environments, or adjust sampling intervals. As the project progresses, they can seamlessly transition to Arduino or pure C++environments to optimize power consumption, memory usage, or I/O performance. SparkFun also offers pre compiled MicroPython images customized specifically for its IoT modules.
Once IoT devices start sending data, X-ON will provide a dashboard for monitoring sensor readings, checking device status, and even remotely pushing firmware updates. Product designers can continuously improve their designs without actual contact with the equipment.
This collaborative solution provides an ideal solution for on-site application testing or pilot project scaling of distributed battery powered sensor systems. The reinforcement design of HX15 gateway, the secure cloud architecture of Digi X-ON, and the automatically configured firmware stack can all reduce the implementation difficulty from laboratory to on-site deployment. Designers can conduct application pilots based on actual sensor data in real environments, and then simply replicate node and gateway configurations to achieve scalability without the need for firmware development or cloud integration.
SparkFun's IoT module based on RP2350, Digi's X-ON platform, and Raspberry Pi's flexible microcontroller ecosystem provide a unique simplified path from prototype to deployment. Whether testing new sensors, verifying LoRaWAN transmission range, or optimizing power consumption, this combination can support experimental exploration while meeting the rigorous requirements of production ready design.
By utilizing open hardware and standardized connections, designers can ensure that their IoT projects have good adaptability and durability during the development process. As project requirements evolve, applications built on this platform can also maintain stronger portability and flexibility.