LoRaWAN · LEO Satellite · IoT Testing · Phase 2

RN2903 LoRa
× LEO CubeSat

Deployment and field testing of Microchip RN2903 LoRa transceiver nodes communicating through low-earth orbit cubesats as airborne LoRaWAN gateways — extending sensor connectivity to remote agricultural land and public works infrastructure where terrestrial networks don't reach.

HardwareMicrochip RN2903 · 915 MHz band
ClientsDALRRD · Dept. of Public Works SA
ProtocolLoRaWAN 1.0.4 · OTAA · Class A/C
LoRa Network — Ground Station Console Live
N01 N02 N03 N04 N05 LEO SAT → LoRaWAN NS
NodeTypeRSSISNRLast packet
RN-N01 Soil sensor -108 dBm +4.5 dB 14s ago
RN-N02 Rainfall gauge -114 dBm +2.1 dB 38s ago
RN-N03 Infrastructure -102 dBm +7.2 dB 2s ago
RN-N05 Dam level -119 dBm -0.4 dB 4m ago

Connectivity where
no tower exists.

The RN2903 module operates at 915 MHz with a link budget exceeding 157 dB — sufficient to close a link to a LEO cubesat at ~550km altitude. Ground nodes wake on schedule, transmit a compact LoRaWAN frame during the satellite's ~8-minute overhead pass window, and return to deep sleep. No terrestrial infrastructure required.

  • RN2903 transceiver — 915 MHz, +18.5 dBm max power
  • LoRaWAN 1.0.4 OTAA — over-the-air activation
  • LEO pass scheduling — pre-computed TLE-based windows
  • Deep sleep between passes — <10µA standby current
  • Solar + LiPo power profile for multi-year field deployment
  • Encrypted payload: AES-128 AppSKey + NwkSKey
ModuleMicrochip RN2903
Frequency915 MHz (AU/SA band)
Spreading FactorSF12 — max range mode
Bandwidth125 kHz
Link Budget157 dB
TX Power+18.5 dBm
Standby current<10 µA
MCUSTM32L071 + RN2903
Power source3W solar · 5000mAh LiPo
EnclosureIP67 · Field deployed
Soil Moisture32 nodes
Rainfall18 nodes
Dam Levels12 nodes
Temperature24 nodes
Wind / Weather8 nodes
Infrastructure (DPW)14 nodes

Agriculture.
Public Works.
Rural SA.

DALRRD (Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development) needed soil, rainfall, and dam level monitoring across communal land and commercial farms in provinces where cellular coverage is patchy at best. The Department of Public Works requires infrastructure monitoring on roads, bridges, and government assets in similarly remote areas. The cubesat gateway layer closes both coverage gaps.

  • DALRRD: soil moisture, rainfall, dam level, temperature
  • Dept. Public Works: bridge strain, road surface, flood markers
  • Data delivered to SA government data portals via REST
  • 3 provinces active · Limpopo, Free State, Northern Cape
  • Phase 3: expand to 300+ nodes across all 9 provinces
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