Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Updated: Cisco Interface Module for LoRaWAN

What does the Cisco Interface Module for LoRaWAN can do for you? Cisco announced the featured Solution for LoRaWAN, which aim to create a gateway for your network, extend the connectivity of your Cisco 809 and 829 Industrial Routers. Cisco LoRaWAN Interface Module includes LPWA access by adding a remote LoRaWAN radio modem interface.

The Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN is a module from Cisco IoT extension module series connected the Cisco 809 and 829 Industrial Routers and are positioned as the carrier-grade gateways for the outdoor deployment, including the harsh environments. This module is very flexible to extend to Cisco other products in future according to the different deployment scenarios.

This interface module is designed according to Semtech LoRa gateway hardware reference version 2.0, supporting Semtech LoRa radio technology and the LoRaWAN specification defined by the LoRa Alliance. This interface module embeds Semtech LoRa baseband chipset to modulate/demodulate the radio signal from the end-devices. Complying with the LoRaWAN specification, it supports the end-device types of Class A, B and C, GPS timing, Spreading Factors, Adaptive Data Rate (ADR) and is ready for geo-localization service.

LoRaWAN operates on the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, such as 863-870 MHz and 902-928 MHz, or subsets of these bands for specific regional profiles as defined by the LoRa Alliance. 863-870 MHz ISM band or its subsets are applicable to Europe, MEA, Africa, Russia (EMEAR) and India regions. 902-928 MHz ISM band or its subsets are applicable to North America, LATAM, Asia and Pacific regions.
The Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN has two models according to the supported ISM bands:
● IXM-LPWA-800-16-K9: Supporting up to 16 LoRa channels, operating on the 863-870 MHz ISM band
● IXM-LPWA-900-16-K9: Supporting up to 16 LoRa channels, operating on the 902-928 MHz ISM band
This interface module is a ruggedized product at IP67 rating. It can be deployed outdoor on the pole, Service Provider’s cellular base station tower, building roof or wall. This product connects to Cisco IR809 and IR829 LAN ports through Ethernet cable. It supports two types of power inputs on device, PoE+ and DC in, 1 or 2 RF antennas, and 1 GPS antenna as shown below.
Cisco Interface Module Ports

Solution Benefits
The LoRaWAN network is optimized for the IoT use cases that require end-devices to be battery powered. The LoRaWAN network is a single-hop star topology in which the LoRaWAN gateways relay the messages between the end devices and the back-end LoRaWAN Network Server. The LoRaWAN gateways are connected to the LoRaWAN Network Server via standard IP backhaul technology, beneficing Cisco IOS Software feature set on IR809 and IR829.
The Cisco IR809 and IR829 equipped with this interface module are the LoRaWAN gateways in the Cisco solution for LoRaWAN. They propagate the long-distance radio to communicate with the LoRaWAN end-devices, such as the water and gas meter, street light, trash bin, smoke detector, GPS tracker, fire hydrant, pipe line and power sockets. The received packet data are forwarded by the LoRaWAN gateway to the backend platform and routed to application server. Figure 2 shows the architecture of Cisco solution for LoRaWAN, including Cisco gateways, Cisco Field Network Director and the LoRaWAN backend platform from Cisco’s partner.
Cisco Solution for LoRaWAN


Enhanced LoRaWAN Features
The Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN complies with Semtech LoRa gateway hardware reference design version 2. It supports several enhanced features, such as high radio bandwidth utilization, geo-localization, RF channels scanning, wider spectrum radio agile transceiver, higher grade saw filter, improvement to coexistence with LTE radio networks and future modulation enhancements.

Multiple Gateway Options
The interface module connects to the Cisco IR809 and IR829 LAN port via Ethernet cable, the IR809 supports one interface module directly or up to three interface modules via intermediate LAN switch, and the IR829 supports up to three interface modules directly. This design gives deployment flexibility.
● Omnidirectional Gateway: Customer can connect one of this product to the Cisco IR809 or IR829 with the Omni-directional antenna. For the end-device low density area, the customer can select the Cisco IR809 with one interface module. If the end-device quantity is forecasted to grow quickly in future, at the early stage of deployment, the customer can select the Cisco IR829 with one interface module and then add another two interface modules on this IR829 to transform to a tri-sectors gateway.
● Tri-sectors Gateway: For the end-device high density area, the customer can select the Cisco IR829 and equip with three of this product as a tri-sectors gateway.
Cisco Omnidirectional and Tri-Sectors Gateway for LoRaWAN

Flexible Deployment
As shown in the above Figure, the gateway is typically deployed on an outdoor tower site. The Cisco IR809 and IR829 chassis will be deployed in the site cabinet on ground, and the interface module is mounted on the antenna pole via Ethernet connection to the Cisco IR809/829.
Cisco Omni–directional Gateway Deployment at Tower Site:

● Power input flexibility: This product supports both 48VDC and PoE+ power inputs. When no power supply is available on the top of tower, the interface module can be powered by an external PoE+ (AC or DC) injector between the Cisco IR809, or by the internal PoE+ option of Cisco IR829.
● Implementation cost savings: Mounting the interface module on the top of the tower close to the antenna requires shorter RF coaxial cable. The shorter the RF cable, the cost is less expensive and the signal loss is less between the antenna to the gateway radio transceiver. Usually a signal amplifier has to be installed to compensate the signal loss for the longer RF cable. This design can help the customer to save implementation cost from the longer RF cable and an extra signal amplifier, particularly in the case of geo-localization service based on Time Differential of Arrival (TDOA) requesting multiple RF antennas per gateway.
● Rich backhaul options: The Cisco IR809 and IR829 provide the Ethernet WAN, 4G cellular and Wi-Fi. The customer can select the proper backhaul according the IP access at the local site. If there exists the Metro Ethernet, such as Layer 2 MPLS, the customer can simply use Ethernet backhaul of the IR809 and IR829. If only public Internet access is available, the customer can create IPSEC VPN tunnel on the Ethernet of IR809 and IR829. Given no Ethernet access on site, the customer can easily activate the 4G cellular of IR809 and IR829 as the backhaul. Finally, if city Wi-Fi mesh is available, the customer can enable the dual-band Wi-Fi of IR829 to access the city Wi-Fi mesh AP.
● Zero-touch provisioning: The Cisco IoT Field Network Director (FND) provides full NMS functionalities to manage the Cisco IR809 and IR829 as well as this interface module. The Cisco IoT FND automatically performs the configuration provisioning when the Cisco IR809 and IR829 successfully register, including the LAN parameters of the interface, certificate management, and the IPSEC VPN tunnel creation.

…More detailed info about the Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN, such as the Features and Benefits, main product SKUs and specifications, the performance specifications, product compliance information, RF antenna specifications, GPS antenna specifications, etc. you can read the full data sheet of Cisco Interface Module for LoRaWAN

More about the Ordering Information
The following Table provides ordering information for the Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN and accessories

Ordering Information
Product Description
Note
Base Unit
IXM-LPWA-800-16-K9
Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN, IoT extension module series, radio spectrum from 863-870MHz, 16 LoRa channels, IP67

IXM-LPWA-900-16-K9
Cisco interface module for LoRaWAN, IoT extension module series, radio spectrum subset from 902-928MHz, 16 LoRa channels, IP67

Mount Kit
AIR-ACC1530-PMK1
Standard Pole/Wall Mount Kit

PoE+ Power Injector Options
AIR-PWRINJ6
AC input PoE power Injector, 802.3at, AC input voltage: 100-240Vac, AC input current: 0.67A,@100-240Vac, Output power up to 30 watts, Indoor
Operating Ambient Temperature
●  -4º to 104ºF (-20º to 40ºC) @ 30 W
●  -4º to 122ºF (-20º to 50ºC) @ 25 W
AIR-PWRINJ-60RGD1
AC input PoE power Injector, 802.3at, AC input voltage: 90-264Vac, AC input current: 2A, Output power up to 60 watts, IP66 rating, NEMA 4X, North America plug
Operating Ambient Temperature
●  -40º to 122ºF (-40º to 50ºC) @ 60 W
●  -40º to 131ºF (-40º to 55ºC) @ 30 W
AIR-PWRINJ-60RGD2
AC input PoE power Injector, 802.3at, AC input voltage: 90-264Vac, AC input current: 2A, Output power up to 60 watts, IP66 rating, NEMA 4X
Operating Ambient Temperature
●  -40º to 122ºF (-40º to 50ºC) @ 60 W
●  -40º to 131ºF (-40º to 55ºC) @ 30 W
PWR-INJDC-30
DC input PoE power Injector, dual DC inputs voltage from 20 to 60 VDC range, DC inputs current 2A maximum, output power up to 30 watts, IP30 rating
Operating Ambient Temperature
●  -40º to 167ºF (-40º to 75ºC)
ACC-SP-POE-GE
PoE power injector surge protector, 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet ports, protects up to 10KV surge, IP66 rating

GPS Antenna
ANT-GPS-OUT-TNC
Outdoor GPS antenna with integrated 15-ft cable

ACC-LA-G-TM-TF
Outdoor GPS antenna lightning arrestor, GDT type, connector TNC(male) to TNC(female)

RF Antenna
ANT-LPWA-DB-O-N
Omni-directional antenna, 6dBi gains, 863-928MHz, N type connector, IP67

ACC-LA-H-NM-NF
Antenna lightning arrestor, high-pass filter type, connector N(male) to N(female)

DC-IN Power Jack
PLG-PWRJCK
DC-IN power adapter jack plug
●  DC-IN power adapter not included
Software and License
SW-IXM-LPWA-K9
Cisco LoRaWAN interface module software to work with 809 and 829
 
LIC-IOTFND-LORAWAN
Cisco FND device license for managing Cisco LoRaWAN module
 

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