What is Sigfox?
LPWAN stands for low-power wide-area network. It is a term used to describe a variety of technologies that connect controllers and sensors to the Internet. Sigfox was the first service provider to use LPWAN to connect devices to the Internet. Sigfox technology wirelessly connects battery-operated devices and sensors to the Internet in a range of regional, national, or global communication networks.
Sigfox and the Internet of Things
The IoT is a network of physical devices connected to the Internet that can communicate with each other. There are several wireless technologies capable of connecting devices to the Internet, including:
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- Short-range wireless communication (E.g., WiFi, Bluetooth)
- Cellular communication (E.g., 3G, 4G, 5G)
- LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Networking communication); examples of technologies that use LPWAN include; Sigfox, Narrowband IoT, LoRa, and more. In a previous article, we covered "What are LoRa and LoRawan." Check out the article here.
In a Nutshell -What is Sigfox?
Sigfox was first created in 2010 with the vision to connect objects in the physical world to the digital world. Sigfox offers end-to-end connectivity through LPWAN, which sends small data packets (100bps) from sensors, via the Sigfox network and Cloud to connect sensors to digital third party sites and applications. See a simplified example of Sigfox network architecture in Figure 1 (below).
Figure 1 Example of a Sigfox network from sensors to platforms.
Why use Sigfox for IoT projects?
Sigfox offers a straightforward communications solution, where all network and computing complexity is managed in the Cloud, rather than on a device. The four main benefits of Sigfox are:
- Easy to install; No cables or complicated set up to navigate
- Economical; Radio modules for Sigfox are generally more affordable than other comparable LPWAN technologies
- Energy-efficient; Sigfox works best for simple devices that infrequently transmit small amounts of data slowly, which has the benefit of prolonging the battery life of sensors, and
- Long-range communication; Sigfox has a data transmission capability range of approximately 10km in urban environments and up to 40km in rural areas.
Essentially, Sigfox drastically reduces energy consumption and costs associated with connected devices. The platform is ideal for low-power applications that send only small amounts of data infrequently, over large distances.
Check your Sigfox coverage for Australia and New Zealand here.
Examples of Sigfox Products at Instrument Choice
MeteoHelix IoT Pro Sigfox Micro Weather Station
Product Code: IC-MeteoHelixIoTProSigfox
The MeteoHelix Pro is an all-in-one, solar-powered and wireless, micro weather station. The Sigfox-enabled unit accurately measures air temperature, humidity, dew point, frost point, and solar irradiation. The wireless station boasts a straightforward setup; install the station on a mounting pole and scan the QR code to activate. Once initiated, you can easily access your data via your phone or computer.
The MeteoHelix Pro includes access to the allmeteo.com web portal for an easy world-wide view of your weather station data, including data export, API data access, and live data view.
Video: How to Setup the MeteoHelix IoT Pro Sigfox Micro Weather Station
MeteoWind IoT Sigfox MeteoWind Compact IoT wireless module
The IC-MeteoWind is a compact, wireless, easy-to-install, battery-free anemometer, and wind direction sensor. The specialised design offers long term measurement stability and reliability in almost any environment.
The unit uses IoT-Wind, an open communication protocol that permits direct connection to any Internet-of-Things (IoT) application and cloud platform.
Conclusion
Sigfox offers a successful and uncomplicated 'device-to-Internet' communications solution, where all the network and computing complexity is managed in the Cloud, rather than on individual devices.
Want more information on Sigfox or any of the products mentioned above? Speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist! We're here to help! Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].
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