Has anyone managed to join LoRaWAN with a LoRa-E5 module?

Products & Technology
1

I am trying to connect to LoRaWAN by following the instructions on the Wiki, but no success so far.

The response to AT+JOIN is:
+JOIN: Start
+JOIN: NORMAL

I also tried AT+JOIN=DR3 (which should be what I am using). The response is:
+JOIN: Start
+JOIN: NORMAL
+JOIN: Join failed
+JOIN: Done

Anyone?

2

Update:
I am finally able to connect using ABP authentication, not OTAA.

This might be due to shortcomings in my DIY single-channel gateway.

3

Don’t use a single-channel gateway. They are essentially non-compliant with LoRaWan. Modestly-priced, compliant, 8-channel gateways are available. https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/gateways/start/single-channel.html

1 Like
4

Don’t use a single-channel gateway. They are essentially non-compliant with LoRaWan. Modestly-priced, compliant, 8-channel gateways are available. https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/gateways/start/single-channel.html

That is surely good advise! It is for the moment a cost/benefit issue for me to work with this simplified gateway, in addition to getting learning points like this one - that improve my understanding of LoRa.

PS: I have been able to confirm the GW firmware was the problem.

5

I’m using full gateway and cannot AT+JOIN TheThingsNetwork with the LoRa-E5 module (FW version 4.0.11) in OTAA mode.

TheThingsNetwork sees the Join request and rejects it due to “MIC mismatch” according to TheThingsNetwork.

So, it seems that the LoRa-E5 is not calculating the MIC properly?

This is confirmed by the packet decoder at https://lorawan-packet-decoder-0ta6puiniaut.runkit.sh/

The raw packet is from TTN Application Console:

Assuming hex-encoded packet
0006000000000000800203902420F1F72CD9C9589BF71A

Message Type = Join Request
  PHYPayload = 0006000000000000800203902420F1F72CD9C9589BF71A

( PHYPayload = MHDR[1] | MACPayload[..] | MIC[4] )
        MHDR = 00
  MACPayload = 06000000000000800203902420F1F72CD9C9
         MIC = 589BF71A (from packet) INVALID (tried MSB 0000-FFFF)
             = 4E25A4D0 (expected, assuming 32 bits frame counter with MSB 0000)

( MACPayload = AppEUI[8] | DevEUI[8] | DevNonce[2] )
      AppEUI = 8000000000000006
      DevEUI = 2CF7F12024900302
    DevNonce = C9D9

Has anyone been able to make OTAA work?