Track: Graduate Student Paper Competition

Abstract

This paper presents the integration of a wireless long-range sensor network (LoRa), using the LoRaWAN protocol, to an OPC TCP network with OPC UA standard. This proposal allows the creation of cyber-physical spaces where all the elements can communicate in a safe, adaptable, and scalable way offering an IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) solution - useful for Industry 4.0. Due to the specificities of each protocol (LoRa, LoRaWAN and OPC UA), developments in hardware, firmware, and software are presented for the purpose to obtain an integrated solution capable of providing data from a LoRaWAN network directly to an HMI, using the OPC UA standard. The work also presents details of the embedded electronic system, developed for the LoRa sensor nodes, including the specification of the components used and signal conditioning circuits required. Furthermore, this work also presents the implementation stages of the LoRaWAN - OPC UA Gateway, based on the open-source operational system, OpenWrt, one of the main components necessary for the proposed integration working. Suggestions for programming the OPC UA server, embedded in the OpenWrt OS, are detailed. Tests of the developed LoRa sensor nodes, as well as the integration with a SCADA operator interface are presented, demonstrating that the proposal integration is feasible and can be applied to increase I/O points monitored by an operator, without the need for intervention in the installed automation system.