ABSTRACT
LoRa (Long Range) facilitates low-power, long-range, and high-immune communication utilizing sub-gigahertz and license-free radio frequency bands. The data rates supported are between 0.3 kbit/s to 27 kbit/s which is ideal for IoT applications. In this chapter, we begin by briefing about the basic concept of LoRa and its topologies including LoRaWAN. We explore the functionalities of heltec ESP32-LoRa development platform and cover several demonstrations to get started with the LoRa protocol and its applications. Heltec ESP32-LoRa is an attractive solution for building long and short range IoT networks as it is equipped with Semtech’s SX1278 LoRa RF Module and ESP32 which is a powerful, low-cost microcontroller popular for IoT applications. We cover data acquisition and processing using widely used sensors like temperature, proximity, gas, SPo2, Heart-rate, etc. are demonstrated. Some examples for onboard OLED displays and a standard communication model are also demonstrated with minimal overheads. Finally, applications related to industry and smart agriculture which demand long range communication and power efficiency are demonstrated.
