SodaqOne version 2 LoRa kit

First try at LoRa

I am a backer for The Things Network, but at the moment (december 10, 2016) the hardware isn’t ready yet. So I bought a LoRa node from Sodaq to try and see if I can get it to succesfully send messages to a TTN gateway. Here’s a log so far:

• Bought kit from Sodaq, connected antennas and plugged in micro USB
• Downloaded Arduino IDE from https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
• Set http://downloads.sodaq.net/package_sodaq_index.json as additional board manager URL in preferences of Arduino IDE
• Installed Sodaq SAMD Boards in Arduino IDE’s Board Manager and set board type to SODAQ ONE with OneBASE SPI
• Re-plugged USB power which reset the board. A new ‘usbmodem’ port appeared and showed some data on the serial monitor. LoRa settings not yet correct. USB is disabled after a while. red led stays on, yellow led blinks as if showing data. Then all leds go off (sleep?)
• Reading http://support.sodaq.com/sodaq-one/
• Followed http://support.sodaq.com/sodaq-one/connect-to-the-things-network/ creating application on https://staging.thethingsnetwork.org/applications
• Set Arduino monitor to 57600 baud and NL&CR
• Completed settings. No OTAA activation succeeded yet and no messages.
• Some hours later, got my first GPS fix. It happened after I opened a window, which may indicate that my windows are coated and bad for radio? Wouldn’t surprise me at all.
• Second succesful GPS fix was with window closed 🙂 No LoRa activity yet. Probably no nearby gateway, anyway and today I won’t be leaving the house to try elsewhere.
• Compiled and uploaded current version of the tracker from https://github.com/SodaqMoja/SodaqOne-UniversalTracker
• Interesting article from someone who also uses the SodaqOne with TTN: https://vanderzee.org/blog/article-160730-181003