The Things Network is a community to an internet-of-thing-data network with the LoRaWAN technology. LoRaWAN, or in short: LoRa is an open protocol that, among other easy to carry it can be played with a simple Arduino-ontwikkelbordje.
The cost of the network equipment and the chips to with a LoRa-access point to connect to, are low. Ideal to tweak. Partly under the influence of The Things Network around the world are becoming more and more LoRa-antennas to find. For example, in the Netherlands and Belgium several networks available, and that number is rapidly expanding.
With the headquarters of The Things Network is practically around the corner from Tweakers HQ, of course, it was a matter of time before we’re there yourself would go in for an interview. We spoke with the founder Wienke Giezeman and tech lead Johan Stokking.
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Listen here the whole conversation with Wienke and Johan as a podcast or download as mp3
The Things Network is a community to an internet-of-things data network to the LoRaWAN technology. With a simple LoRa router of thousand euro, you can 10,000 devices connect, explains Giezeman. That was the start of the iot-data network in Amsterdam that The Things Network together with ten parties in the capital to set up. All the parties purchased a lora gateway, and on 21 August was the stadsdekkende network live.
Rockstart-property in Amsterdam – Left: Johan Stokking, tech lead Right; Wienke Giezeman, initiator – Close-up of pilot project for water level measuring
That story did quickly around within the iot community and soon there were more and more places with opaque networks. But it also showed that a gateway of 1000 euro is quite a threshold. That resulted in the development of a cheaper gateway. After some research, it came to the developers of The Things the Network learned that a LoRa-router is not much more than 200 euros would cost. That was a Kickstarter project, and within eight days was the financing all around. Finally took out the project of 300,000 euros. The The Things Gateweay and other Things-equipment must be in July 2016 to be delivered.
The Kickstarter project was, in any case, one thing is clear: there is a need for a simple network where no one is required to anything on the internet to hang out. The idea of The Things Network it was only after the first version of LoRa saw the light with a broad alliance of many telcos and chipmakers, and with an open networking protocol for iot applications. It is a so-called spread-spectrum radio protocol. All the data of a node goes to all of the gateways that are within range. Unlike spread-spectrum Wi-fi and bluetooth, for example, point-to-point protocols, where a user name and password is required.
On the other hand, there are the devices, which need the long time can keep without any new source of energy. Some devices might to even ten years should be able to do with a battery. There are three types of devices: class A, are devices that only send data. Class B uses a preset cycle, for example, that the node is to the five-minute listening to a signal. Then, there is another class C which is an external power supply, because that is constantly in contact with the node.
As an example, give Giezeman and Stokking a project with sensors in waste containers. Such a sensor need only something to do if the container is full. Also, there is a project with rhinos, but in fact, anyone can think of something. In other words: people without a technical background can have very interesting applications to come up with.
The community of The Things Network now consists of about 3,000 people. Giezeman gives an example of someone who is near Boston in the USA busy with a project around the testing of seawater. He also indicates that it is a chicken-and-egg problem: first, the network has to be there. Now that there is in some places, there are all users with new ideas. “Tell the story, but even during the birthday of your grandmother, almost everyone knows there is an application for.”
The foundation behind The Things Network aims to be neutral routing. Thus, the foundation is particularly focused on the development of cloud services and that in a safe way. At this moment there 128bits AES encryption is used for this.
For tweakers, it is just nice to own a device together with, for example, a Semtech SX 1301-chipset and a Raspberry Pi. “This means that you can build for more than 200 euro a private gateway,” says Johan. Of the Things Network gateway is an Arduino ontwikkelbordje. The advantage of people who have been in the vicinity of a LoRa network, is that they do not own access point, so that you may all continue on without their own access point. On a map of The Things Network is to see where are now all open networks. In addition to The Things Network also providers in many countries are busy to set up LoRa networks, such as KPN in the Netherlands and Proximus in Belgium.
Play with LoRaWAN can. On GoT are multiple threads where all the talk is about the jobs of different devices and signs.