probably the best thread for me in this year)
in my project I’m using Anarduino with HopeRF RF95W for a two years but I even didn’t realize that there are a lot of such cute devices.
I want to order a couple of another devices for creating Node and Gateway for LoRaWAN.
Please advice which of these devices would be best solution for now? My main requirements - is low power consumption in sleep mode, because my devices should work from battery in cold conditions.
So I suppose it should be ARM MCU + LoRa module. But Im ok with AVR also.
Is there such proven modules that can be ordered online now?
Allready released some time ago: the muRata chip. Measures 10 x 10 mm, and contains both Lora transceiver and processor. The processor handles the loraWan stack and the encryption and has about 190 kByte space left for your own application, which is quite a lot! Price is about 5 euro for relatively smaller series (100-1000 pieces).
Add a battery and an antenna, and you have your basic node! We are testing one right now, I don’t think we’ve been able to bring it to life yet 
@d00m We’ve been able to run a simplified version of the loraWan stack from an ATtiny85 in combination with the RFM95. (deep) sleep current is less than 1 uA.
So if you use a 1200 mAhr lithium thionyl chloride battery (size 1/2 AA), you can keep the device in sleep mode for about 50 years! 
(actually it’s over 100 years but the battery loses 1% energy per year) 
@Loraloralora I was at an IoT-seminar last month where Samir Hennaoui, Senior Product Engineer at Murata Electronics, presented this product and mentioned this price.
Interesting, well tell him to hook it up!
This is a version of the above node except made with a pcb shield to do the wiring. I’ve currently set it up on the kpn IOT network in order to test the triangulation geolocation. It’s sending out a packet every 5 minutes and I’m logging all the responses. I expect that it will run between 6 months and a year which is what the test is all about.
Kim
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Got this week, not the smallest one, but it runs fine on battery.
Whisper Node - https://wisen.com.au/store/products/whisper-node-lora/
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I build this one a few months ago:
It is small and arduino compatible and also features a Lipo Battery chrger.
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Great to see that posting project & pictures actually inspires people to make the IoT evolve. Great work!
A picture of my LoRaWAN project from last year with a more powerful microcontroller:
More info and specs here; the LoRaWAN Node’s (hardware) are still available for those interested!
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Hi @eTh0maz, in fact I’ve imported some of your great ideas in to my project. You really did a nice work.
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Topic title updated from “Smallest expected node” to “Small LoRaWAN nodes”.
New nano tracker build on RAK4200 LORA module from RAK.
Module size only 18x16 mm
Contain Telit SE868 GPS module with integrated patch antenna, barometer (BMP280/BME280), light sensor (OPT3001), accelerometer (MMA8652/MMA8653), additional 4 MBytes flash for save data and firmware updates.
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Neat!..questions everyone will ask - where to get one, when, how much, design open source?..etc! 
Come along way from this http://akb77.com/g/gps/lora-stx3-microtrackers/ (Posted long ago above!)
Now only some nanoTrackers for software development. Possible make batch. A very specific device. Mainly for observing wild animals. Try ask RAKWireless for production 
Will you be open sourcing schematic / PCB?
Now are close - because for customer. Consulting about open source.
In principle, there is nothing complicated there.
The sensors are written. GPS is also named. RAK4200 from RAK.
May be RAK can make for sale or other.
I’ve RAK4200’s, the rest of the parts are OK, just no enthusiasm for doing another PCB layout this month!
OK, If you go for “VERY SMALL” the RAK4200 seems perfect to me ( no experience with it yet ). But it’s not cheaper as the Arduino Pro Mini/ESP32-WROOM + RFM95 ( 8.49 <-> 1.80 + 3.74 ). I am still very satisfied with my
Sandwich Concept
All resources are open and free, the world is my customer.
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