The Sigfox low-power wide-area network already has network coverage of around 72% in Germany. The aim of the network is to provide a particularly energy-saving and cost-effective network connection that is free of global roaming charges and can be used to operate smart sensors for years and decades without changing batteries. A solution that may be of interest to the globally exporting German mechanical and plant engineering industry, as Sigfox is already present on all five continents and in 45 countries. The network is to be expanded to 60 countries by the end of 2018.

Location tracking by land, sea and air

The Sens'it Discover multisensor: it is intended to inspire decision-makers to use Sigfox. Sigfox provides the entire IP as well as circuit diagrams for the sensor as open source so that OEMs can quickly integrate this IP into their own systems. Alternatively, there is a wide range of ready-made Sigfox components such as USB sticks, mPCE cards, Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

© Sigfox

Some companies are already installing localization trackers in their products. Louis Vuitton, for example, has already introduced a series of suitcases that passengers can use to track their checked baggage at major airports. Michelin uses the Sigfox network to locate its deep-sea containers. Pilot experience and additional studies have convinced Michelin that real-time tracking can save up to 10 % of goods in transit by sea, increase the accuracy of estimated arrival times by up to 40 % and reduce goods flow interruptions caused by exceptional events such as storms by up to 75 %.

Predictive maintenance

But can Sigfox also be used for predictive maintenance in mechanical and plant engineering? Absolutely, but with one drawback: the data limit of twelve bytes and 140 messages per day and device. This is the price for the fact that the Sigfox network operates in the sub-GHz band, which can be used worldwide without a license and therefore makes the service inexpensive from the outset, but limits the permitted bandwidth. However, twelve bytes are absolutely sufficient for most status and alarm messages, and being able to receive a message every ten minutes or so should be enough to obtain important machine data for predictive maintenance. In addition, the advantages over conventional wireless networks and LPWANs, which are offered in the licensed wireless network of mobile network operators, are enormous.

This applies to the costs: while comparable modules of alternative wireless connections are only available from around five euros, Sigfox modules are available from just two euros. In addition, the connection fees, which the user does not even have to manage because the device manufacturer settles the license fees with Sigfox, are usually only between one euro and eight euros per year. SIM cards for LTE/GSM with a Sigfox channel are already available. This means that Sigfox can be used as a standard to transmit important data cyclically. If it is then important to activate high bandwidths, the LTE/GSM connection can be established.

High transmission reliability

In addition to the cost side, the reliability and security of the network and the interface to the machine and system are also crucial. The license-free sub-gigahertz band offers advantages in terms of QoS, as it is also more suitable for indoor use than mobile networks thanks to the long radio waves. The transmission is relatively immune to interference: The Sigfox signal is very leanly modulated and is sent three times in parallel on random frequency ranges and is received and evaluated by all surrounding base stations without any handshake with a specific base station. Ultimately, however, only one of the multiple redundantly received messages is transmitted to the customer clouds.

High safety requirements

Sigfox's network coverage in Europe. The network is also already being expanded in the USA, Japan and Australia. In Germany, network coverage of 85% is to be achieved by the end of 2018 - as of May 2018, around 72% has been reached.

© Sigfox

The Sigfox interface is particularly secure because it is not connected to the Internet and, for energy-saving reasons, also goes into deep sleep when it is not needed - if you are not online, you cannot be hacked! In addition, the 140 × 12 bytes are not very attractive for misuse of the devices as a denial-of-service attacker on other servers. Hackers could also never send messages directly to them, as a strictly regulated communication sequence of the devices only allows messages to be sent to the Sigfox cloud. The logic of the Sigfox network therefore offers a high level of security. In addition to data, message and transmission channel encryption, there will also be an option in future to use secure elements on the devices in order to ultimately ensure secure end-to-end networking between the customer cloud and the devices.

Author:
Aurelius Wosylus is Country & Sales Director at Sigfox Germany

A global network for billions of devices

Nationwide Sigfox network coverage is available in Europe in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Malta. It is currently being rolled out in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovakia, Estonia and Hungary. Globally, Singapore and New Zealand have already been expanded and the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Australia as well as Mauritius, the Sultanate of Oman, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, Argentina, Tunisia, Thailand, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Costa Rica are currently being rolled out (as of May 2018).