About the LoRaWAN® Standards
The LoRaWAN® is a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) end-to-end system architecture designed to wirelessly connect battery operated ‘things’ to the internet in regional, national or global networks. The architecture includes protocol standards and features that support low-cost, mobile, and secure bi-directional communication for Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M), smart city & industrial applications. LoRaWAN® architecture is optimized for low power consumption and is designed to scale from a single gateway installation up to large global networks with billions of devices. Innovative features of the LoRaWAN® protocol standards include support for redundant operation, geolocation, low-cost, and low-power: Devices can even run on energy harvesting technologies enabling the mobility and bringing true ease of use to the Internet of Things.
LoRaWAN® Standards Documents
The LoRaWAN® standards documents are developed and maintained by the LoRa Alliance®: an open association of collaborating members. To fully define the LoRaWAN® standards, and to ensure interoperability among devices and networks, the LoRa Alliance® develops and maintains the following documents:
Link Layer standard
Back-End Interfaces standard
Firmware Update Over-the-Air standard
Regional Parameters
Certification Program
While these standards define the technical implementation, they do not define any commercial model or type of deployment (public, shared, private, enterprise) and so offer the industry the freedom to innovate and differentiate in how a LoRaWAN® system is implemented.
The standard defines the end-to-end architecture and so provides seamless interoperability between manufacturers, as demonstrated via the device certification program.
Link Layer Standard
The LoRaWAN® Link Layer standards document defines the device-to-network LoRa® physical layer parameters & the LoRaWAN® network protocol, including MAC layer commands, frame content, communication classes, data rates, security and flexible network frequency management.
Back-End Interfaces
The LoRaWAN® Backend Interfaces document supports decomposing the network into interoperable nodes, as required for inter-vendor device roaming and activation. The Back-end Interfaces standard provides the protocols that interconnect servers with distinct roles such as: controlling the MAC layer, end-point authentication, or applications behind the scenes in the core network. Separating these servers allows an open choice of vendors for each element of the value chain, empowering the ecosystem.
LoRaWAN® Regional Parameters
The LoRaWAN® Regional Parameters document contains the approved frequency channel plans for various global regions, and follows the established regulatory constraints in those regions. These details are managed separately from the core LoRaWAN® standards to enable the Alliance to quickly address regional regulatory support requirements. LoRa(R) physical layer parameters covered by the Regional Parameters include: preamble format, channel frequencies, data rates, Tx output power & dwell time and power control.
Certification Program
For any technology to scale within an open ecosystem with multiple vendors it is critical to give confidence of interoperability. This provides adopters the assurance of adherence to the LoRaWAN® protocol, the interface between end-devices and network infrastructure:
Member benefits of the LoRa Alliance® Certification Program:
- Listing within the certified products page on the LoRa Alliance® website
- Higher ranking and visibility on the LoRaWAN® product catalog
- The right to use the official LoRaWAN® CertifiedCM logo
- Product promotion in LoRa Alliance® collateral
- Prominent positioning in LoRa Alliance® demonstrations at tradeshows
- Highlighted via social media and Alliance newsletter
Types of Certification
LoRa Alliance® Certification Program ensures that end-devices meet national regulations in each region, as well as the LoRaWAN® features required to ensure interoperability and compliance.
Authorized Test Service Providers and certification process
Only LoRa Alliance® Authorized Test Houses (ATH) may perform testing for the LoRa Alliance® Certification Program. Applicable national conformity test reports and registrations are supplied together with the LoRaWAN® conformity report before receiving the LoRaWAN® Certified approval.
LoRa Alliance Endorsed Member Trainings on LoRaWAN
Semtech’s Academy for LoRaWAN
The Academy for LoRaWAN® is a self-paced course designed for people interested in learning about the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly, about LoRaWAN, the low power, wide area networking standard. The course consists of 12 modules that will help you build your understanding of LoRaWAN from the ground up. Each module has clear Learning Objectives and provides a variety of learning experiences, including text, video lectures, and quizzes at the end of each module. You will also have the opportunity to put what you learn into practice by completing the Advanced Assignments and the related Hands-on Labs.
Additional endorsed member trainings coming soon.
