Ohio-based Laird Connectivity has announced a LoRaWan-enabled gateway and sensor bundle for prototyping IoT applications. It is compatible with AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan.

The Sentrius RG1xx gateway and RS1xx sensor IoT starter kit delivers a platform for OEMs to prototype long-range temperature and humidity applications for gathering meaningful IoT data.

The kit bundles Laird ‘s LoRaWan-enabled RG1xx gateway with its RS1xx multi-sensor, offering integrated temperature and humidity data alongside external open and closed sensing. The gateway is a platform for long-range, low-power IoT applications. It leverages the firm’s WB50NBT wireless bridge certified module and offers enterprise dual-band wifi and Ethernet.

The RG1xx has a LoRaWan range up to 16km and is pre-loaded with various LoRa packed forwarder software, suitable for scalable and flexible IoT networks.

The RS1xx IoT sensor leverages the benefits of LoRaWan and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity in one small, rugged form factor. It can send temperature and relative humidity and open and closed sensor data in harsh RF environments and over long distances to remote LoRaWan gateways.

With the added benefit of Bluetooth LE connectivity, sensor data can be sent to smartphones and tablets for local configuration, control or data visualisation.

The kit is compatible with multiple cloud services, including the AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan. This managed feature of AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan enables enterprises to connect wireless devices that use LoRaWan technology without developing or operating a LoRa network server (LNS) themselves. This eliminates the undifferentiated development work and operational burden of managing an LNS.

“AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan offers a plug-and-play experience that reduces device on-boarding friction,” said Chris Boorman, senior product manager at Laird Connectivity. “We plan to offer full support for AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan early next year.”

Both the RG1xx gateway and the IoT starter kit will be qualified for AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan and featured in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner device catalogue.

“AWS is pleased to have Laird Connectivity as a launch partner for AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan,” said Karthik Ranjan, LoRaWan ecosystem leader at AWS. “By combining a qualified gateway with Laird Connectivity’s commercial grade sensor, we can accelerate the customer journey from proof-of-concept to deployment and allow enterprise customers to more easily and quickly connect and secure LoRaWan device fleets at scale and accelerate IoT application development.”

ComplianceMate, a specialist in enterprise food safety management tools, is one of Laird’s longest standing customers of LoRaWan sensors and gateways. The company is evaluating the LoRa network server offering from AWS using the Sentrius products.

“Not only have we had great success with the LoRaWan infrastructure through our partnership with Laird Connectivity, but we are excited to continue our involvement in leveraging AWS IoT services,” said Tom Woodbury, ComplianceMate vice president. “This new gateway and sensor prototype bundle will be great for the LoRaWan community and we are eager to see how this new initiative influences the world of IoT. Adopters of this technology should benefit from Laird Connectivity’s expertise.”

The kit is suitable for many of the most challenging industrial settings and applications, including cold chain management and food safety, industrial heating and cooling, agricultural humidity and environmental monitoring, and industrial automation, monitoring and control.

“AWS IoT Core for LoRaWan will accelerate IoT application development with its flexibility and scalability,” said Marc Pegulu, vice president at Semtech. “Laird Connectivity’s new gateway will help increase mass of adoption of LoRaWan as developers integrate the technology in their IoT application for a variety of industries.”

The starter kit is certified for FCC, ISED, EU, AS/NZS, IMD and Bluetooth SIG and is AWS qualified.