Most prevalent POC’s in world of IoT 2023

There are countless use cases being tested via POC (Proof of Concept) in the world using IoT (Internet of Things) devices, as IoT has the potential to transform almost every industry and aspect of our daily lives. Some of the most common use cases being tested include:

• Smart cities: IoT devices can be used to manage traffic, monitor air quality, improve waste management, and enhance public safety. This can improve quality of life, reduce pollution, and increase sustainability.

• Agriculture: IoT devices can be used to monitor soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels, as well as track livestock and crop health. This can increase crop yields, reduce waste, and improve sustainability.

• Smart homes: IoT devices can be used to control and automate various functions of a home, such as lighting, temperature, security systems, and appliances. This can improve convenience, energy efficiency, and safety.

• Industrial automation: IoT devices can be used to monitor and control manufacturing processes, optimize supply chains, and reduce downtime. This can lead to cost savings, increased efficiency, and improved product quality.

• Healthcare: IoT devices can be used to monitor patients' health remotely, provide real-time alerts and notifications, and streamline healthcare delivery. This can improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance patient engagement.

Perceived benefits

The benefits that people are trying to derive from these POC's are numerous and include: Increased efficiency: IoT devices can automate routine tasks and provide real-time data and analytics, which can lead to increased productivity and reduced costs. Improved safety: IoT devices can monitor hazardous environments, provide alerts and notifications, and help prevent accidents and injuries. Enhanced sustainability: IoT devices can help reduce waste, optimize resource use, and promote environmentally-friendly practices. Better decision-making: IoT devices can provide real-time data and analytics, which can help businesses and individuals make better decisions and improve outcomes. Enhanced customer experience: IoT devices can improve convenience, personalization, and responsiveness, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Created by johnkweber john@iotdc.co.za

 

IoT - for monitoring cold storage units

Benefits

Using IoT to monitor cold storage units can bring a lot of benefits, and here are some of them:

• Remote monitoring: With IoT, you can monitor cold storage units remotely, which means you can access the data from anywhere at any time. This can help you to quickly respond to any issues that arise, and you can also check the temperature and humidity levels of the storage units in real-time.

• Data analytics: With IoT, you can collect data on various parameters like temperature, humidity, and energy consumption. This data can be analyzed to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies. This can help you to optimize the performance of your cold storage units, reduce energy consumption, and minimize the risk of spoilage.

• Alerts and notifications: IoT can be used to set up alerts and notifications when the temperature or humidity levels go beyond the predefined thresholds. This can help you to take corrective action before any damage is done.

• Predictive maintenance: By analyzing the data collected by IoT sensors, you can identify when the cold storage units are likely to fail. This can help you to perform maintenance before a breakdown occurs, reducing the risk of spoilage and downtime.

Overall, using IoT to monitor cold storage units can bring many benefits and help to optimize the performance of your cold storage units while reducing the risk of spoilage and downtime.

Predictive maintenance

When it comes to predictive maintenance for cold storage units, there are several points that would be best to monitor to obtain the most reliable data. Here are some of the key points that should be monitored:

• Temperature: This is the most critical factor for any cold storage unit. Continuous monitoring of the temperature will help identify any changes or fluctuations that may cause damage to the stored goods. By tracking the temperature, it is possible to predict and prevent malfunctions, such as compressor failures or refrigerant leaks.

• Humidity: Maintaining proper humidity levels is also important in a cold storage unit, particularly when storing items like fruits, vegetables, and medicines. High humidity can cause mould growth, which can damage the goods. Meanwhile, low humidity can lead to dehydration, which can also damage the products. By monitoring humidity levels, it is possible to ensure that goods are stored in the best possible conditions.

• Compressor runtime: The compressor is a vital component of a cold storage unit. By monitoring how often the compressor runs, it is possible to detect changes in its performance. For example, if the compressor starts to run more frequently, it may indicate that it is struggling to maintain the desired temperature or is on the verge of a breakdown.

• Door open/closed events: Monitoring door open/closed events is crucial to prevent unnecessary energy loss, particularly in walk-in coolers and freezers. By tracking these events, it is possible to identify and address any issues, such as faulty door seals, that may lead to temperature fluctuations.

• Energy consumption: Monitoring energy consumption is important to ensure that the unit is running efficiently. By tracking energy consumption, it is possible to detect any unusual patterns or spikes that may indicate a malfunction or maintenance issue.

Implementation

To implement IoT for monitoring cold storage units, you would need the following:

• Sensors: You would need sensors to measure temperature, humidity, and other parameters. These sensors should be capable of communicating with IoT devices wirelessly.

• IoT devices: You would need IoT devices to collect data from the sensors and transmit it to the cloud. These devices should have a reliable and secure connection to the internet.

• Cloud platform: You would need a cloud platform to collect, store, and analyze the data collected by the IoT devices. This platform should have robust security features to protect the data.

• Analytics tools: You would need analytics tools to analyze the data collected by the sensors. These tools should be able to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies in the data.

• Alerting and notification systems: You would need a system to set up alerts and notifications when the temperature or humidity levels go beyond the predefined thresholds.

To obtain the best predictive maintenance data, it is important to use IoT sensors that can collect and transmit data in real-time. The sensors should be connected to a cloud-based platform that can store and analyze the data, as well as provide alerts and notifications in case of any issues. 

In conclusion

Finally, it is important to have a system in place to process the data and identify patterns or anomalies that may indicate a potential problem. This could involve using machine learning algorithms or other analytical tools to detect patterns that may not be immediately apparent to human operators.

It is crucial to have a team in place that can respond quickly to any alerts or issues that are identified, to prevent any damage to the stored goods or equipment.

NDS - NOA Data Service helps users that have no clue about IoT to bring projects like this to fruition within hours. NDS will collect all sensor data as well as allow the user to create dashboards for visualizing the data.

Created by johnkweber

john@iotdc.co.za

LoRaWAN, IoT and Milesight

LoRaWAN is an emerging technology that offers a great opportunity for the internet of things (IoT) market. It provides a secure and reliable connection between devices, allowing communication over long distances with low energy consumption. LoRaWAN is designed to enable connections in remote areas or even in built-up cities and towns where traditional wireless networks cannot reach. The protocol operates on a sub-gigahertz frequency band, so it can penetrate walls and other obstacles better than cellular signals. Furthermore, its low power capabilities allow for battery life of up to 10 years for some products. Therefore, LoRaWAN is becoming increasingly popular among developers as it has the potential to revolutionize the way we use IoT technology today.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way we live and work. By connecting devices to share data, IoT technologies like LoRaWAN can help us make decisions faster, increase efficiency and improve safety. With its low-power consumption, long battery life and wide range of coverage, LoRaWAN is uniquely suited for applications in remote locations or challenging environments. Through its secure bidirectional communication capabilities, LoRaWAN can be used to monitor environmental conditions, track assets or use geolocation services. By leveraging this technology, the IoT has the potential to make our lives easier and more efficient while providing greater transparency and control over our environment.

Milesight products are the future for IoT, utilizing LoRaWAN technology to ensure secure, reliable communication with connected devices. This allows for remote monitoring and control of sensors and machines, thus increasing efficiency and cutting down on costs. With this technology, users can access detailed information about their IoT environment in real time, giving them unprecedented insight into the performance of their systems. LoRaWAN is ideal for a variety of applications such as smart grids, home automation systems and asset tracking - making it an invaluable tool for those looking to capitalize on the promise of IoT.

https://www.milesight-iot.com/lorawan/gateway/ug56/

What’s The Difference Between NB-IoT and LoRaWAN?

There are many wireless networking protocols that are being used for IoT, but there are two main players in this market – NB-IOT and LoRaWAN. This article will examine the two technologies, how they’re different, and which is best in what cases.

What is NB-IOT?

NB-IoT is a low power wide area network technology that has been specifically designed for the Internet of Things. It is based on the same principles as other LPWAN technologies such as LoRaWAN, but uses a different radio access technology. NB-IoT is designed to provide high speeds and low latency over long range distances, making it ideal for applications such as smart metering and asset tracking.

NB-IOT is a cellular technology that is designed for low power, wide area networks. It uses a different radio access technology than LTE and is optimized for devices that only need to send small amounts of data. NB-IOT is ideal for applications such as smart meters, parking sensors, environmental monitors, and wearables. 

What is LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN is a protocol that was developed for low power, wide area networks. It uses the ISM bands or unlicensed radio frequency bands, LoRa being used on 434MHz, 868MHz and 915MHz amongst others, and can be used with a variety of radios. LoRaWAN is often used in applications such as building automation, asset tracking, and remote monitoring.

LoRaWAN is a media access control (MAC) layer protocol designed to work with low-power devices in low-bandwidth, battery-operated networks. The LoRaWAN specification provides robust, secure bi-directional communication between end devices and a central LNS LoRa Network Server.

The Difference Between NB-IoT and LoRaWAN

NB-IoT is a communication standard developed by 3GPP for connecting “things” to the internet using cellular networks. It is based on LTE and designed to be used in licensed spectrum whereas LoRaWAN is an open specification from the LoRa Alliance for wide area networking of “low power devices” using unlicensed radio spectrum such as the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at 868 MHz in Europe and 915 MHz in North America.

 NB-IoT offers higher security than LoRaWAN as it uses SIM cards and encrypted communications. It also has a higher capacity than LoRaWAN, supporting up to 100,000 devices per base station. NB-IoT also consumes 4 times more power than LoRaWAN, making it less suited for battery powered devices. NB-IoT has a shorter range than LoRaWAN and is more expensive to implement.

In which cases would you use NB-IoT?

NB-IoT can be used in a number of different cases, such as smart metering, parking, and street lighting. It is also well-suited for connecting devices in remote or difficult-to-reach locations, as the technology requires little infrastructure and can work well in low coverage areas.

In which cases would you use LoRaWAN?

There are a few key factors that make LoRaWAN an attractive option for certain use cases:

1. Long range: One of the key benefits of LoRaWAN is its long range capabilities. LoRaWAN can support devices that are miles away from the gateway, making it ideal for applications like asset tracking and monitoring where devices may be spread out over a large area.

2. Low power: Another key benefit of LoRaWAN is its low power consumption, which makes it ideal for battery-operated devices. This is especially important in applications where devices need to operate for extended periods of time without being able to recharge or replace batteries.

3. Flexible deployment: LoRaWAN can be deployed in both rural and urban areas, as well as indoors and outdoors. This flexibility makes it well-suited for a wide variety of IoT applications.

4. Scalable: LoRaWAN can be easily scaled to support a large number of devices, making it suitable for IoT deployments with a large number of sensors or other connected devices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, NB-IoT and LoRaWAN are two different types of networks that are used for different purposes. NB-IoT is best suited for applications that require high data rates and low power consumption, while LoRaWAN is best suited for applications that need to cover a large area with little infrastructure.

So, what’s the difference between NB-IoT and LoRaWAN? To put it simply, NB-IoT is a newer technology that offers some advantages over LoRaWAN in terms of speed and efficiency. However, LoRaWAN still has its place as a low-power option for IoT devices that don’t need high data rates. Ultimately, the decision of which technology to use will come down to the specific needs of your project.

Written by johnkweber Technical Team Lead at IoTdc

A few extremely easy uses for the LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS101

 Milesight WS101 LoRaWAN button

Easy usecases for LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS101

The LoRaWAN button from Milesight is an extremely versatile little tool that can be used for a variety of applications. In this blog post, we will explore a few of the many possible uses for the button. Whether you’re looking for a way to remotely control a device or track data, the LoRaWAN button can do it all. So, if you’re looking for a simple and easy-to-use LoRaWAN device, the Milesight button is a great option. Keep reading to learn more about a few of the many ways you can use it.

Milesight IoT

1. The LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS101 can be used to trigger a variety of actions in an IoT application.

2. For example, the button can be used to turn on a light, start a water pump, or open a door.

3. The button can also be used to send a signal to a remote monitoring system, indicating that something has happened.

4. The possibilities are endless! The LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS is a versatile and easy-to-use tool that can make your IoT applications more efficient and user-friendly.

LoRaWAN`

1. LoRaWAN

The LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS is an extremely easy-to-use, low-cost device that can be used for a variety of applications. Here are just a few examples:

1)  Personal security: The button can be worn by individuals as a personal security device. In the event of an emergency, the user can simply press the button to send out an SOS signal that will alert others to their situation.

2) Remote control: The button can be used as a remote control for various devices and systems. For example, it could be used to turn on/off lights, open/close doors, start/stop machinery, etc. This is particularly useful in industrial and commercial settings where there is a need to remotely control equipment or systems.

Use case for LoRaWAN button

The LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS can be used for a variety of different applications and use cases. Perhaps the most obvious use case for the button is as a simple on/off switch. This could be used to control any number of devices or appliances, either directly or through an automation system. The button could also be used to trigger an emergency response procedure in the event of an accident or hazardous situation.

The button could also be configured to act as a panic button, sending an alert to designated personnel in the event of an emergency.

There are endless possibilities for how the LoRaWAN button from Milesight WS can be used, limited only by your imagination! Whether you need a simple on/off switch, a sensor trigger, or a panic button, this versatile little device has you covered.

The Milesight D2D - device to device also allows direct switching of other Milesight devices in the close vicinity to the switch. 

3 different ways can be set up, short button press, double button press as well as long button press. Each one with its own action.

Written by johnkweber Technical lead at IoTdc

Common misconception - IoT is plug and play

 One of the greatest misconceptions around IoT today is that it as easy as plug and play to integrate IoT devices into your project. Sure it is not that difficult after the nth project because you now have the knowledge and have built an ecosystem into which you can add your IoT devices etc. Before this stage, however, it is definitely not plug and play.

I think that this misconception is one of the biggest reasons contributing to the failed IoT project landscape. Technical people have an idea that the learning curve is only a few days to learn how to integrate all the devices found in the IoT landscape. In some case it might only be days but in other cases some of the devices have many moving parts that have to come together to form one seamless application that you can just drop into your environment or system.

Take LoRaWAN for instance, This is such a simple concept and to everyone who hears about LoRaWAN for the first time, the first instinct is to say, "It's just a radio that communicates with another radio hence it will be easy to integrate"

In order to intgerate a LoRa device into your system you will need to know the little quirks of LoRa and how the devices communicate to a gateway and how they join the network which in turn will need to communicate to an LNS - LoRa network server, then there are a few LNS providers and this will mean  choosing the LNS that best suits your purpose. So will it be TTN, Chirpstack, AWS IoT core, LoRiot, Thingpark or one of the other LNS which are apperaing on the landscape monthly. Each of these have their own little peculiarities that the techical resource will have to find out and deal with. 

Suddenly a seemingly easy project has become difficult as your technical resource now has to battle with the LNS and figure out its own peculiarities. Then we have to send the device data which is still encoded, to the  backend server where it will need to be converted from Base64 encoding and then once you have the hexadecimal payload, you will need to figure out by using the documentation of that product whatthe sequence of bytes means and which bytes need to be parsed from the hex payload in order to get meanigful device data.

Once you have the device data isolated then there are the mechanisms needed to store and visualise this data. Sure there are many opensource projects which you can use which will do most of the heavy lifting however you will still need to glue it into place within your own ecosystem. This is where many projects get stalled for weeks as teams start to have meetings as to who needs to do what with the data that is coming in. 

This all can be easy but you need to have gone through the learning curve already and then it becomes extremely easy to place any of these devices direct into your system.

It is for this reason that we at IoTdc have created NOA Data Service. 

It has been said that very much like the law of the conservation of energy that there is a similar law which describes complexity. 

Complexity does not go away and there is absolutely nothing that one can do do to eliminate the complexity of IoT, however one can move the complexity to someone elses purview and then it seems as though things are not as complex anymore. It is however deceptive as the compexity is still there in all its glory, however it has now just moved to someone else and they will end up hiding most of the complexity from you and your team so that you dont have to know everything about a certain topic or field. 

When using NDS - NOA Data Service this complexity has been moved into our software and system and you dont need to know anything about most of these topics discussed. We will set up your devices in an LNS - LoRa Network Server, we will strip the data into meaningful chunks which your system can consume with ease. This takes the timeframe of setting up a POC - Proof of Concept or POV - Proof of Value from months and weeks down to hours and minutes.

NOA Data Service

Written by johnkweber - Technical team lead at iotdc.co.za

Using the EM310-TILT sensor from Milesight IoT to check traffic cameras and other infrastructure

One of the intersting facts that are mentioned in the AARTO - Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences act, is that in order for a traffic speed infringement via camera to be legal the camera has to be setup 100% according to the guidelines. One of the guidelines is that the pole on which the camera stands as well as the camera has to be perfectly aligned at a certain angle in order to ensure the photos sent are consistent and the speeds measured are also consistent. 

One way to ensure this perfect  alignment is to use a LoRaWAN device like the EM310-TILT sensor which will send an alert when the angle is changed from the initial setup and it varies within a certain number of degrees. 

This will ensure then that any deviation in camera angles are noticed immediately and attended to.

The other place where this device could play a roll is to attach it to street lights and lamp posts in SA, as they are currently a massive target of thieves that steal the copper out of them. The thief will cut down the poll and steal the copper as well as any aluminium such as the light housing itself to sell as scrap metal for a few cents. this type of damage is causing havoc in South Africa and this could be a great deterrent  when the thieves get caught redhanded when they start cutting down these poles.

The other use case I can imagine this device being used is in dam walls or the sides of mine dumps in order to see any type of slippage due to the angle of the sand being shifted. This type of monitoring could be used on tailings dam as yet one more sensor that can just give an early warning.

Written by johnkweber - Technical team lead at iotdc.co.za