Introducing LoRa (Long Range) Wireless Technology – Part 1

This write-up introduces **LoRa** and **LoRaWAN** for IoT, covering spectrum and link-budget tradeoffs, OTA duty-cycle limits, security architecture (AppKey, NwkSKey, AppSKey, MIC, frame counters), and the **The Things Network (TTN)** ecosystem, then demonstrates a point-to-point setup using ESP32 and REYAX modules with AT commands, configuration parameters (spreading factor, bandwidth, coding rate), sample Arduino sketch, and range testing (≈150–700 m). It concludes with observations on use cases, power/range considerations, and a preview of building a low-cost LoRaWAN gateway and integrating sensors with TTN.