Sodaq ONE

Hardware

Micro-controller

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SODAQ ONE-EU-RN2483-V3 from SODAQ. SODAQ ONE tutorial with explanations, schematics, datasheets, and examples. SODAQ ONE module pinout

The SODAQ ONE-EU-RN2483-V3 is a very compact module operated by the 32bit ATSAMD21G18 microcontroller running at 48 MHz. It has 256 KB flash memory (to store the program code) and 32 KB of RAM (to store variables, status information, and buffers), and up to 16 KB of emulated EEPROM (to store configuration data). The operating voltage of the board is 3.3V (this is important when attaching sensors and other peripherals; they also must operate on 3.3V). The board offers 14 general purpose analog/digital input/output pins (14 GPIOs) all of which can also be used for PWM output, and one of which can be used as an analog output pin (with 10bit digital analog converter (DAC)). The microcontroller has three serial ports (programmable Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter, UART); the first is connected internally via a USB/Serial converter to the USB port of the board, the second is connected internally to the LoRaWAN module, and the third is freely usable using GPIO pins D12 (TX) and D13 (RX). Furthermore, the board has one I2C port and four of the GPIO lines can be used as SPI port. The SODAQ ONE comes with an embedded Lithium polymer battery management chip and status indicator led, which allows to directly connect a 3.7V LiPo rechargeable battery that will be automatically recharged when the board is powered over its USB connector. Above, a solar charge controller is embedded allowing to directly connect a photovoltaic panel (4.5V to 6V) to recharge the battery. The board also features an RGB LED, a LSM303AGR module (3 axis magnetometer and 3 axis accelerometer), and an uBlox EVA 8M GPS module. The SODAQ ONE board is available from the manufacturer in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, for around 100 €.

The LoRa transmitter and receiver is encapsulated within a Microchip RN2483 LoRaWAN module. It uses the LoRa chip SX1276 from the company Semtech and is dedicated to the 868 MHz frequency band. The RF module contains its own microcontroller, which implements the LoRaWAN protocol. The module is connected via the serial interface to the ATSAMD21G18 microcontroller and can be controlled by sending text commands. The implemented LoRaWAN functionality is compatible with LoRaWAN Class A. The detailed explanation of the module is given in the RN2483 datasheet and all supported commands in the RN2483 Command Reference.

The SODAQ ONE is installed on a ONE Base board offering 7 on-board Grove connectors. ‘Grove’ is a framework developed by the company Seeed Studio standardizing the connectors, operating voltages, and pin configurations for attaching peripherals like sensors, actuators, and displays to microcontrollers. Please note that grove modules to be used with the SODAQ ONE must be working with 3.3V (the normal operating voltage for the Arduino UNO microcontroller and its shields is 5V).

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The SODAQ ONE-EU-RN2483-V3 installed on a ONE Base board with attached GPS antenna (left), LoRa patch antenna (top), a 1200 mAh lithium polymer (LiPo) battery (top), and an attached 0.5W photovoltaic panel.

Sensor

The embedded LSM303AGR is an ultra-low-power 3D electronic compass featuring linear acceleration full scales of ±2g/±4g/±8g/±16g and a magnetic field dynamic range of ±50 gauss. The module can be configured to generate an interrupt signal for free-fall, motion detection and magnetic field detection. It is connected to the microcontroller via I2C bus. When the SODAQ ONE is used to track moving objects (like bikes, people, or animals), the LSM303AGR sensor can be used to wake up the microcontroller and the GPS from power saving mode (deep sleep). This way, the power consumption of the SODAQ ONE can be minimized (only when a movement has been detected, a new GPS position fix has to be acquired). The detailed explanation of the module is given in the LSM303AGR datasheet.

The embedded uBlox EVA 8M GPS module is a standard precision GNSS receiver with 72 channels supporting GPS and GLONASS. The module is capable to report up to 18 positions per second (18 Hz). It is connected to the microcontroller via I2C bus and supports different power saving modes. A detailed explanation of the module is given in the uBlox EVA 8M datasheet.

Software

The section is still to be written.

Services

The section is still to be written.

Code files

Arduino Sketch for Sodaq ONE sensor node
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No source code yet!
TTN payload decoder for Sodaq ONE sensor node
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Yet to be written