Originally reported by New Electronics (August 2020). Quotes and product details are sourced from the original announcement.
Overview
Semtech — a supplier of high-performance analogue, mixed-signal semiconductors, and advanced algorithms — has announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and systems integrator TensorIoT to accelerate IoT solution development. The three companies are delivering Asset Tracking and Smart Building Kits that integrate Semtech’s LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN protocol with AWS IoT managed services.
The kits are designed to shorten the pilot-to-production lifecycle for enterprises and systems integrators undertaking digital transformation projects, providing an out-of-the-box experience backed by a scalable, serverless cloud architecture.
Why LoRaWAN and AWS IoT?
Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) technologies address a class of IoT use cases that standard Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity cannot serve cost-effectively: devices that must operate for years on a small battery, communicate over long distances, or penetrate multiple floors of a building. LoRaWAN — the network protocol built on Semtech’s LoRa radio modulation — is widely adopted for exactly these scenarios.
Michael MacKenzie, General Manager of IoT Connect and Control at AWS, explained the rationale:
“LPWAN technologies represent a rapidly growing frontier of connectivity choices for IoT. Hundreds of millions of constrained devices are being connected to solve real-world challenges in every vertical. These devices need to be able to communicate through multiple levels of concrete for smart structures or over miles of distance in remote telemetry cases while running on tiny batteries that last 10+ years. With companies like Semtech, AWS IoT Core customers are delivering LPWAN solutions using LoRa without sacrificing scalability, availability or security.”
— Michael MacKenzie, General Manager, IoT Connect and Control, Amazon Web Services
The Asset Tracking Kit
The Asset Tracking Kit enables organizations to locate and inventory outdoor assets around a defined site. Key capabilities include:
- GPS-enabled industrial trackers included in the hardware bundle
- Automated, regular inventory checks of on-site assets
- A cloud dashboard for real-time asset visibility, viewable from anywhere
- An out-of-the-box evaluation experience so customers can assess ROI before committing to full deployment
The Smart Building Kit
The Smart Building Kit targets facility monitoring and occupancy management use cases. Near-real-time monitoring covers:
- Door and window open/close state
- Desk and room presence detection
- Environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, and similar)
- Water intrusion detection
A practical safety application highlighted by the companies is emergency evacuation: in the event of a fire, chemical spill, or other hazard, facility managers can use the kit’s real-time occupancy data to identify which areas are occupied and prioritize evacuation accordingly. The portable sensor design also allows teams to survey network coverage before committing to a permanent installation.
AWS Services Powering the Kits
Both kits are built entirely on the AWS IoT stack and use a serverless-first architecture. The AWS services involved include:
- AWS IoT Core — device connectivity and message broker
- AWS IoT Core Rules Engine — routing and processing of device messages
- AWS IoT Device Shadow — persistent device state management
- AWS Lambda — serverless compute for business logic
- Amazon API Gateway — RESTful API management
- Amazon CloudFront — low-latency dashboard content delivery
- Amazon S3 — object storage for dashboard assets and data
- Amazon DynamoDB — NoSQL data persistence for device telemetry
Because the infrastructure is outsourced to AWS managed services, teams can take a proof-of-concept deployment directly to production-scale without re-architecting the underlying platform.
TensorIoT’s Role
TensorIoT, an AWS Partner specializing in IoT and machine learning integration, developed the cloud applications that connect the LoRaWAN sensors to AWS services. This includes the open-source, customizable dashboards shipped with both kits.
“The Asset Tracking and the Smart Building Kits are a perfect example of how TensorIoT is working with AWS and Semtech to provide best-in-class IoT solutions leveraging highly scalable AWS Services like AWS IoT Core and Semtech’s LoRa devices.”
— Ravi Raghunathan, CEO, TensorIoT
What the Kits Include
- LoRaWAN hardware — devices offering long battery life, extended range, and a proven LPWAN protocol
- Open-source AWS dashboards — fully customizable to match enterprise branding or workflow requirements
- Scalable cloud architecture — take the dashboard from proof-of-concept to production without infrastructure redesign, as the heavy lifting is handled by AWS managed services
Industry Significance
According to Semtech, these kits represent the first vertical product offerings based on LoRaWAN built specifically on AWS IoT Core with a serverless architecture. The intended beneficiaries span multiple verticals: utilities, smart home, smart community, and smart healthcare — all sectors where long-range, low-power connectivity is a technical and commercial requirement.
“Semtech’s LoRa is a proven IoT solution that has been implemented in a variety of industries ranging from smart home and community to asset tracking and smart buildings. Our collaboration with AWS shows that LoRa devices are connected everywhere and LoRa is the de facto platform for IoT LPWAN applications.”
— Alistair Fulton, General Manager, Wireless & Sensing Products Group, Semtech
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Source: New Electronics. Original announcement published August 2020.