Amsterdam, 6 April 2021 The Things Industries, a global Internet of Things service provider, launches Generic Node, a single LoRaWAN device packed with sensors and loads of features to support several use cases. With various sensors and features, Generic Node enables an easy end-to-end IoT solution development that allows creating applications for different purposes using only one device.
Generic Node can be used to build various LoRaWAN use cases. Its reference hardware design comes with a variety of sensors such as temperature, humidity and accelerometer. The platform also provides boilerplate software and many features. This way, one single node contains the tools for fast prototyping of multiple applications in cold chain, retail, smart building, smart city, agriculture and more. The Generic Node hardware platform brings immense economies of scale by eliminating the number of devices and saving on engineering costs.
The node is provisioned with open development tools and LoRaWAN operator agnostic which means that all steps starting from the production all the way to installation are covered by the same device. Generic Node guarantees a wider input range, higher efficiency, and battery agnostic operation through the buck-boost technology. It brings anything you can expect from a LoRaWAN sensor node: long-range and longevity, all powered by two simple AA batteries.
The Generic Node was presented during The Things Conference 2021 alongside ST Microelectronics and Ignion. At the core of the Generic Node sensor edition, you can find ST Microelectronics’ STM32WL, LoRa Radio, and MCU. Virtual antenna (developed with Ignion) ensures optimal performance and design, reducing the time for design revisions.
“The generic node is the perfect example of a versatile platform to drive LoRaWAN centric IoT solutions,” says Jaap Groot, CEO of Fractus Antennas. “Given the multi-radio requirements, the use of our Virtual AntennaTM solution gives developers the freedom to build concepts covering all LoRaWAN bands in very short engineering cycles reducing the time to market and TCO drastically”.
The open source implementation of the Generic Node allows for a variety of integrations and continuous device growth. Generic Node’s features can be used as-is or customized to meet specific requirements. On-board components of the device are the result of a number of design decisions that prioritize security, low power, and long range. Generic Node deployment requires zero hardware and firmware development. Learn more about how to get started with Generic Node by reading the documentation and watching a video on how to get started.
“The IoT market is fragmented and therefore requires a large set of different devices. The non-recurring-engineering costs per device remain high. Our goal is to allow device makers to get a flying start with good development tools and example applications. The Generic Node allows you to start building IoT solutions without the complexity and risk of hardware engineering and lets you focus on the software that makes your product unique. We are super excited to release this into the ecosystem with our partners.”
Wienke Giezeman, CEO, The Things Industries.
Generic Node was created in cooperation with STMicroelectronics, Sensirion, Bopla, Seeed, Cetecom, Ignion, Ricoh, Microchip, Irnas, Comtac. We would like to thank all of our partners for their contributions.
The first integrators will start using the product soon. Pre-qualify for the first Generic Node here: thethingsshop.com
LoRaWAN® is a mark used under license from the LoRa Alliance.