Integration of the ChirpStack R1X gateway with the SenseCAP S2101 sensor

Introduction

This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of setting up a complete LoRaWAN gateway solution. using ChirpStack on the Seeed reComputer R11 , an Edge controller based on Raspberry Pi. Thanks to the WM1302 LoRa hub module, the R1X becomes a powerful and reliable gateway. capable of providing long-range communication.

By configuring the Semtech Packet Forwarder , LoRa data is transmitted uninterrupted to ChirpStack. which manages the network and application layers. Using Docker simplifies service deployment. and ensures a modular and scalable environment. Finally, integration with MQTT enables an IoT data stream secure and real-time, from sensors such as the SenseCAP S2101 .

Required materials

• Seeed reComputer R1X
• WM1302 LoRaWAN gateway module
• SenseCAP S2101 Sensor

→ Get yours on DistrIoT

Docker installation

1. Update the system
   

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt upgrade

2. Install Docker
   

    curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
    sudo sh get-docker.sh

3. Add the user to the Docker group
   

    sudo usermod -aG docker ${USER}

4. Restart the system
   

    sudo reboot

5. Check the installation
   

    Docker Run Hello World

6. Install Docker Compose
   

    sudo apt install docker-compose

Packet Forwarding Execution

The WM1302 module requires the Semtech Packet Forwarder to relay data between the LoRa module and ChirpStack. The reComputer R11 has a pre-configured installation guide. available on the official Seeed wiki.

1. Modify the configuration

Open the configuration file corresponding to your LoRa region (e.g., US915):

 nano global_conf.json.sx1250.US915

Modify the gateway_conf section:

 {
 "gateway_conf": {
 "gateway_ID": "AA555A0000000000",
 "server_address": "localhost",
 "serv_port_up": 1700,
 "serv_port_down": 1700
 }}

Replace the gateway ID with your own and use the JSON file appropriate for your region.

2. Launch the Packet Forwarder

 ./lora_pkt_fwd -c global_conf.json.sx1250.US915

Start the gateway

Download the docker-compose.yml file from the reComputer page and adapt the frequency band to your configuration.

 chirpstack-gateway-bridge:
 image: chirpstack/chirpstack-gateway-bridge:4
 restart: unless stopped
 ports:
 - "1700:1700/udp"
 volumes: 
- ./configuration/chirpstack-gateway-bridge:/etc/chirpstack-gateway-bridge
 environment:
 - INTEGRATION__MQTT__EVENT_TOPIC_TEMPLATE=us915_0/gateway/ {{ .GatewayID }} /event/ {{ .EventType }}
 - INTEGRATION__MQTT__STATE_TOPIC_TEMPLATE=us915_0/gateway/ {{ .GatewayID }} /state/ {{ .StateType }}
 - INTEGRATION__MQTT__COMMAND_TOPIC_TEMPLATE=us915_0/gateway/ {{ .GatewayID }} /command/#
 depends_on:
 - mosquitoto

Launch ChirpStack

 sudo docker-compose up -d

Check the active containers:

 sudo docker ps

Access to the ChirpStack interface

Go to http://localhost:8080
Default credentials:
User: admin
Password: admin

Adding the gateway

1. In ChirpStack, go to Gateways → Create Gateway
2. Please provide the following information:
   • Gateway ID: AA555A0000000000
   • Name: Descriptive name of the footbridge

Creating the device profile

1. Go to Device Profiles → Create Device Profile
2. Please provide the following information:
   • Name: Your profile name
   • Region: corresponding to your gateway (e.g., US915)
3. In the Codec tab, select JavaScript Functions and paste your device's codec.

Adding a device

1. Go to Tenant → Application → Add Application
2. Give it a name, save, and then click Add Device
3. Please provide the following information:
   • Device EUI: from the sensor (e.g., SenseCAP S2101)
   • Device Profile: the created profile
   • Application Key: Device key

Device status check

In the device's Events tab, you will see the junction packets and uplink frames. You can view data such as temperature and humidity sent by the SenseCAP S2101.

MQTT Integration

ChirpStack uses MQTT to stream data to your applications or dashboards.

Configure your MQTT client (e.g., MQTT Explorer):

• Host: IP address of reComputer R11
• Port: 1883

Example topic:

 application/c853ffcd-53f0-4de3-83b9-5467ff895f76/device/2cf7f1c043500402/event/up

Node-RED Integration

Visualize LoRaWAN data with Node-RED via MQTT nodes and custom functions.

 // Example of a Node-RED function to extract temperature and humidity
 let data = msg.payload;
 if (typeof data === "string") {
 try { data = JSON.parse(data); } catch (e) { return [null,null]; }
 } 
if (!data.object || !Array.isArray(data.object.messages)) return [null,null];
 let tempMsg=null, humMsg=null;
 data.object.messages.forEach(m=>{
 if(m.type==="report_telemetry"){
 if(m.measurementId===4097) tempMsg={topic:"temperature",payload:m.measurementValue};
 else if(m.measurementId===4098) humMsg={topic:"humidity",payload:m.measurementValue};
 }
 });
 return [tempMsg, humMsg];

Connect the outputs to Gauge or visualization nodes to display the measurements.

Technical support and discussion

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