RAKwireless 1W Booster Starter Kit Offers High-Power Meshtastic LoRa Node

WisMesh 1W Booster Starter Kit. Image used courtesy of RAKwireless

The WisMesh 1W Booster Starter Kit from RAKwireless is built as a high-power LoRa communication platform to be used in Meshtastic mesh networking projects. It consists of a Nordic nRF52840 microcontroller, a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver and a Skyworks SKY66122 power amplifier that can boost transmission up to 1 W (30 dBm) of power.

The kit belongs to the WisBlock modular ecosystem of the company, which is based on the RAK3401 core module, the RAK13302 1W LoRa radio module, and the RAK19007 base board of the WisBlock. This can be configured as a modular system to enable developers and hobbyists to build long-range communication nodes compatible with outdoor applications, off-grid message networks, and other IoT applications.

Hardware Architecture

The system has a modular hardware design with every component performing a specific aspect of operation. The RAK3401 is a Nordic nRF52840 microcontroller (microcontroller container based on ARM Cortex-M4F) with 1 MB of flash and 348 KB of SRAM. It features the majority of processing functions in a module which incorporates interfaces (e.g. UART, SPI, I2C, ADC and GPIO) to add sensors and expansion boards.

WisBlock Base Board 2nd Gen (RAK19007)

The kit contains RAK13302 1W LoRa module in wireless communication, which comprises the Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver with Skyworks SKY66122 power amplifier and RF filtering solution. The module also includes an IPEX antenna connector and works with sub-GHz frequency bands that are typically utilized in long-range IoT communication. These modules are mounted on the RAK19007 WisBlock base board, which offers power management, expansion slots to add more modules and USB power and battery input connections.

Long-Range RF Design

One of the major attractions of the WisMesh 1W Booster Starter Kit is that it has the potential to operate up to 1 W of RF output power, much larger than most of the standard Meshtastic nodes, which use much less power. The microcontroller is the nRF52840 that serves as the core of the communication process and performs the control of the radio operations based on the firmware.

Working of 1W RF Chain

Radio signal transmission is done by the SX1262 LoRa transceiver, then amplified by the SKY66122 RF amplifier to reach higher transmission power. Other RF front-end circuitry and filtering components assist in the suppression of interferences and enhancement of the receiver sensitivity. This structure enables the device to have stable communication in the far regions and in places where the signal may be difficult to obtain.

Power and Connectivity

The system needs a constant power source due to the increased power transmission. The kit has various power choices, such as USB power input, rechargeable Li-Po battery, and off-grid power with a solar panel connection. The 1 W LoRa radio module needs a 5 V power supply because the amplifier needs more current than can be provided by the typical 3.3 V systems. The connectivity features are: The nRF52840 supports Bluetooth Low Energy, has an external antenna interface to support LoRa communication, supports USB connection both in programming and powering the board, and expansion connector types that can be utilized to connect other hardware blocks.

Booster Starter Kit front and back

WisBlock Expansion Capabilities

As the starter kit is founded on the WisBlock platform, users have the opportunity to extend the system, which can include various WisBlock modules based on their needs in terms of application. They can have environmental sensors to monitor temperature and humidity, GPS modules to monitor the location, small display modules to provide the status, or data logging elements to store sensor data. This is a modular design that enables the kit to either be a sensor node, a repeater in a mesh network, or a component of a larger distributed IoT system.

Applications

The WisMesh 1W Booster Starter Kit is aimed at applications where long-range and low-power wireless communication is needed. Typical use cases include Meshtastic-based off-grid communication networks, emergency or disaster communication setups, environmental monitoring systems in remote locations, outdoor IoT sensor networks, and community mesh messaging systems. In suitable environments and with proper antenna setups, such systems can achieve communication over several kilometres.

Images used courtesy of RAKwireless