Hi,
I would like to build a Low power gateway, in order to use it with battery and solar panel.
Raspberry PI4, with 5W, is too much, and I would like to spend maximum 2W. What could be the adequate hardware, if you have opinion on it.
Thanks very much to the community
Eric
Pending this Slack message we are not able to upload images right now, so I’ll transcribe the image that I wanted to post of an unreleased but upcoming gateway:
05.00 V
0.118 A
000.5 W
Disclaimer: that is the ‘idle’ power consumption - it will most definitely spike on any Tx & Rx as either the LoRa radio and/or the WiFi radio will be transmitting.
Development of the gateway has slightly stalled due to the development of a LoRaWAN Relay that has actual proper low-power capabilities (but only supports 16 devices maximum) and doesn’t even need a solar panel (batteries alone is enough). Both are likely to be available in roughly a month or two.
An ‘easy’ solution may be to investigate the use of a One-Channel Hub, for which code is readily provided by Semtech for two specific boards, but this is a very limited solution, as it only supports… well… One Channel instead of the eight of a usual gateway.
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A basic GW using Sx1302 (actually even a 1301/08) concentrator based design with a RPi0W is a great minimal system - as you say a Pi 4 overkill, with easy config and potential expansion. Have dozens like that (many on Solar), simply running the original SMTC UDP PF, though a BasicStation PF based system potentially more future proof and secure, and also readily implemented - GIYF. Options based on embedded processors (ESP32 series?) also available - use also Forum search 
Would avoid anything SCPF based unless running a private close system with specific controlled needs - full 8 channel for the win and for TTN Community friendly/expansion 
Voldermort - MacBeth - any other naughty phrases to mention?
No point bringing up old hacks - but if you were referring to the One Channel Hub, that’s not a SCPF - full support baked in to TTS.
I know I know - old habbits die hard! Perhaps being a bit lazy with language for quick response. Fact is it’s a device that forwards packets received over a single LoRa channel - so head of a pin I guess. Fact it is ‘formalised’ and supported - but with very specific requirements wrt functional behaviour of any associated end nodes doesnt change reality that it is not an open 8 channel supporting GW that can help community users without having to know details and jump through hoops to utilise it! IMO (as stated) best used in a private deployment where LNS config (even if TTS), GW settings, and end node operation all managed, matched and determined by the private user. The fact behaviour is formalised atleast means it (shouldn’t?) won’t act as a DoS device to community users in the way the classic neutered SCPF’s and DCPF’s of old have been know to be (bitter experience that had cost me real time and money in the past!)
Thanks to all. Yes, I would definitely go with a 8 channel. RPI0 is a good idea, I thought it was too small, but if it’s not its a great idea. I will search in the forum for a RPI0.
The only problem with RPi0, is that there is no ethernet port, only wifi, and I think that for a gateway, it’s not so reliable. I could add an thernet module to the RPI0, like ENC28J60, but I would prefer a board with an ethernet port.
Thanks to all the community for the time spend on this forum
True there can be issues but if Wi-Fi signal good and stable not usually a issuproblem - I like the option of Wireline also (also handy if doing PoE (Active or - as in case of many Solar deployments - passive), but practically many of my well behaved GW’s are Wi-Fi only or even where Wireline an option deployed on Wi-Fi as positioning then very easy and not constrained by access to a socket/trailing ENet cable…talking literally dozens of e.g. TTIG’s, RPi0W, RPi 2b+, RPi3/3b+, a few RPi3a’s and only a small handful of RPi 4’s… Wrt sizing for control I still have one of the original (now ~10 years old!) SMTC GW ref designs that I occasionally use for coverage tests and that used an old RPi2 ! (With SMTC UDP PF.)