The aim of the Big Data Project is to demonstrate the power and flexibility of IoT solutions by connecting IoT devices to multiple application platforms via IoT networks via IoT core platforms and services.
Below is an overview diagram showing the basic IoT architecture with devices on the left and IoT application platforms on the right. For this project, the solutions will either be be cellular or LoRaWAN.
LoRaWAN devices can either be connected to the LoRaWAN network via a gateway (which will in turn connect to a mobile network or an Internet Service Provider), or they can connect directly to LoRaWAN gateways hosted on satellites, which provide a route to the Satellite provider’s LoRaWAN network server and on to the core network/application platforms.
Cellular devices don’t require a gateway as each device has a SIM, which allows for direct connection to the mobile network. IoT connectivity (and IoT SIM’s) are different to standard smartphone connectivity, and a number of specialist IoT connectivity providers have arisen to provide this service.
