Direct forwarding of decoded payload without network server like TTN in between

LPWAN Developer Gateways / Concentrators
1

Hi Rakwireless-Fellows,

So far I’ve used pretty much all the different Rakwireless Gateway versions and my preferred ones are compatible with the RaspberryPi.

Since TTN is migrating to V3 lately, I am thinking about just directly forwarding the decoded payload on the RaspberryPi to be less dependent on what TTN is doing.

Do you have any documentation to do so? Can you please redirect me to any starting point from where I can help myself?

Thank you!

2

There is no “decoded payload” until after it has passed through a network server, whose job (in addition to managing nodes) is to validate and decode payloads.

If you didn’t want to use TTN you’d probably end up using chirpstack, preferably cloud hosted, alternatively both RAK and Chirpstack itself offer setups to run the chirpstack server itself on a pi.

3

@cstratton thank you for your fast and helpful reply.

My preferred setup would be:
RPI4 with latest Raspbian OS and Teamviewer for remote control. From there on I don’t really care whether to use RAK or Chirpstack:

I see that Chirpstack provides the software for installing on top of Raspbian:
https://www.chirpstack.io/gateway-os/

RAK is also providing ressources for it I see:
https://docs.rakwireless.com/Product-Categories/WisLink/RAK2245-Pi-HAT/Quickstart/#_2-using-an-independent-chirpstack

Can you guide me to further ressources?

4

What more do you need?

I’d really recommend running the server in the cloud not on the gateway as that’s more secure against damage or theft of the gateway and the only realistic way to have a traditional multi-gateway network, but if you’re going to run it on the gateway, following Chirpstack’s own guidance as the actual author seems preferable; cross check the RAK guides for details of SPI clock and resetting the concentrator hardware.

5

RAK = creator of electronics, Chirpstack = creator of software

Not really an OR situation.

You will need the electronics, it’s the choice of stack you need to make.

If the TTN upgrade to the V3 stack makes you nervous, then you’ve more of a job on to provision an alternative than just reading the V3 migration guides.

6

It is a choice in the sense that both offer their own path to install a version of the same software on the same pi to operate the same RAK concentrator card.

I maintain that a cloud install is superior, but it could be as simple as following the instructions to download a card image or add the necessary files on top of raspbian.