"Having used LoStik in the field for many months, Third Venture decided to open source the design and share it with other developers."

"Designed to provide an easy way to connect and take advantage of the growing Internet of Things network"

"It’s easier to carry compared to a prototype with jumper wires, can be programmed via a simple ASCII interface, supports packet mode LoRa or LoRaWAN, and works with the Things Networks."

"Designed for use with any computer or microcontroller capable of acting as a USB Host and featuring an ASCII interface, the LoRa Stick can be used in both packet and LoRaWAN modes – making it compatible with The Things Network"

LoStik by Ronoth is an affordable, easy to use, LoRaWAN™ compatible device. It lets IoT (Internet of Things) integrators, network testers, and hobbyists get connected to LoRa® networks faster, diagnose network issues more easily, and build new and exciting connected devices.

Overview

LoRa® technology is one of the leading wireless technologies powering the emerging Internet of Things. It is used in tons of cool technologies such as automatic meter reading, smart parking, and even livestock tracking. It has the unique ability to send packets over fairly long distances using minimal power (We’re talking kilometers!). LoRa® technology is perfect for devices that are located far away and need to send small amounts of data.

Unfortunately, configuring and deploying these devices can be more challenging than it needs to be. Setting up and testing new networks can also be tiresome and complex. That’s where our device comes in.

Who Needs It and Why?

LoStik technology is ideal for anyone working with existing LoRa® networks or just getting started in IoT. It utilizes the RN2903/RN2483 SOM (System on a Module) chip by Microchip which comes with an intuitive text interface. Just plug your device in to a computer and connect via terminal to start coding or check out some of our example code.

Hobbyists can connect their Raspberry Pi or PC to any LoRa® gateway and start sending messages or sensor data with minimal fuss or configuration. There is no easier way to get connected to a LoRaWAN™ network. LoStik is ideal for connecting your Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, or any PC to the LoRaWAN™ network. It connects over USB leaving your precious Raspberry PI GPIO pins free. If you’re looking to build an automated backyard garden, DIY home automation, or a garage door opener, LoStik can help you out.

IoT integrators can use LoStik to test and configure networks without carrying around development boards and random programmers, serial adapters, and wires.

LoRa® wireless techonolgy is used in tons of industries and use-cases including:

Cattle farming - Tracking herd movement, location, body temperature, and local humidity

Vineyards - Soil moisture, humidity, temperature, and weather conditions

Asset Tracking - Realtime location tracking

Railway - Early detection of freezing of railway switches

Utilities - Waterflow meters, electric meters

Pest Control - Connected mousetrap

No matter what your use-case is LoStik wireless networks is an essential tool for any IoT integrator.

Key Features

Works with any PC, Raspberry Pi, or BeagleBone

Simple ASCII interface

Backpack friendly (compare to a dev boards and jumper wires)

Supports Packet mode LoRa® (packet mode) or LoRaWAN™

Compatible with The Things Network

Based on the RN2903/R2483 by Microchip

Two user-programmable LEDs

Open source

Specifications

Connectivity: USB 2.0

USB 2.0 Power Consumption: 140 ma typical TX, 20 ma idle (with power LED)

140 ma typical TX, 20 ma idle (with power LED) Dimensions: 80 mm x 25 mm x 12 mm (without antenna)

80 mm x 25 mm x 12 mm (without antenna) Receiver Sensitivity: down to -146 dBm

down to -146 dBm TX Power: adjustable up to +18.5 dBm

adjustable up to +18.5 dBm Range: up to 15 km coverage in suburban and up to 5 km coverage in urban areas

Technical Details

Radio & MCU

Ronoth USB Dongle for LoRa® wireless networks uses a RN2903 (US) or RN2483 (EU) depending on what ITU region you are in; if you are unsure which version you need check out the frequency plan.

LoStik uses a simple ASCII interface. You can configure it and send commands over serial / COM port. Microchip provides a detailed command refference RN2903, RN2483

The radio can be used in packet mode sending packets between nodes. This provides simplex, single-channel communications. If you want to speak LoRaWAN you need a gateway or access to one. Some countries in Europe provide nation-wide coverage.

If you want to tinker with the MCU directly it is possible (but not necessary) to write your own firmware. There is an unpopulated ICSP header and the onboard MCU is a PIC18LF46K22 and Microchip supplies LoRaWAN libraries for use with MPLab.

Enclosure

We chose a great enclosure to protect the internals when it’s bouncing around your computer bag. It’s semi-transparent so you can see the LEDs, but more importantly it’s meant to be hack friendly and you can take it apart without destroying it. The LoRaWAN modules are capable of firmware updates over the USB / UART connection, but if you’re feeling adventurous we included pads for an ICSP header.

Comparisons

Ronoth USB Dongle for LoRa® networks really stands out among the competition. It is the most capable, well documented, and most reasonably priced option on the market today.

Cost Documentation Code Samples Interface Open Source LoRaWAN Support Programmable LEDs LoStik $46 Extensive Yup Text Yes Class A (class C in dev) Bling! GlobalSat LD50H $90 Requires NDA Requires NDA Text No Class A Nope iFrogLab $58 Minimal Included Binary No Unknown Nope

Shipping & Fulfillment

Everything will ship with love from Hillsboro, Oregon.

An international shipping fee for non-US orders is necessary at this scale as it is far cheaper to ship all packages from one place than to set up a global distribution and global shipping and logistics, which can be error prone and expensive.

Risks & Challenges

LoStik has been through several iterations of development and has been used in the field for many months. We’ve produced dozens of them and have made numerous design improvements to aid manufacturability.

There is some risk in delivering thousands of the units in a timely manner based on availability and lead-times for the Microchip modules. We already have a conversation going with Microchip and will update our backers of any potential manufacturing delays caused by component availability.

LoRa® and LoRaWAN™ are trademarks of Semtech Corporation or its subsidiaries.