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How RFID, LoRa and M2M SIM cards are combined to leverage IoT projects
RFID has become an essential technology for managing the resources needed to keep industrial production lines running smoothly.
However, while radio frequency identification can collect all the data on the ground, it cannot transmit it.
LoRa, a long-range, low-speed technology that uses radio waves, may face similar issues when it comes to data transmission to the cloud.
This is where the M2M SIM card kicks in by making data transmission possible.
Here are two examples of synergy where the M2M SIM card operates as an overlay.
Exploit date with RFID and M2M SIM card combined
Radio frequency identification via long-range (more than 100 metres) RFID badges, chips and tags is commonly used for the protection of goods (anti-theft tagging), for the protection of construction site workers and for remote heating controls.
In fact, this solution can be used to identify and locate a person or goods using an embedded chip.
However, while these chips can be used to collect locatio, identification and monitoring data in real time, RFID connectivity does not allow data to be transmitted to a site or platform where it could be accessed remotely.
This is where a synergy could be created: whereas the RFID chip gathers data, the M2M SIM card can transmit it, thus enabling remote and real-time management of resources.
Some construction sites currently use RFID to control the entry and exit of employees, particularly in tunnels, by using a built-in chip in the workers’ helmets and a sensor at the tunnel entrance.
A detailed account of activity can then be viewed on site, directly on the meter. The M2M SIM, used as an overlay, kicks in and transmits data to an interface.
This makes management, maintenance and data transimission easier.
Maximum network coverage with LoRa and M2M sim card
LoRa, the “Low Power Wide Area Network” technology dedicated to the IoT, kown for transmission of small data packets. It uses a wireless, low-power, low-speed and long-range connection.
Optimised for equipment with limited resources that do not require high speed and require a battery life of several years, LoRa is used to control sensors and meters in many activity sectors.
Data is collected by via LoRa chips installed in the sensors.
These connect to base stations or gateways with a range of 10 to 20 km. These gateways use M2M SIM cards to send data to the server.
With IoT now present in all sectors, and an increasing number of connected objects plus diversified types of connectivity, more and more players will face this type of situation in the future.
It is therefore important not to see connectivity solutions as in competition, but to know how to exploit their complementarity in order to optimise processes.