How to make a basic gateway

[GUITTET JOEL]

Hello all!

This is my first message on the forum so just to introduce myself: I’m software engineer and starting working with lorawan for my company.

We have some B-L07272Z-LRWAN1 boards and a multitech conduit mlinux version with MTAC-LORA-868 card.

I have made several testing and successfully used the existing system (sent some messages I can’t actually decode but my knowledge about the Lorawan protocol is probably not enough developed), played with the MQTT conf on the conduit etc.

Look great but I want know to go for the next step. However, i can’t find any clear tutorial to set up my gateway, and i do not understand which packages/software need to be installed.

I have seen something which may be interesting called “basic_pkt_fwd-usb”, seems to work, I see in the console logs when the lorawan device is sending messages such as :

lgw_receive:1423: FIFO content: 1 10 0 5 17
lgw_receive:1438: [2 17]
Note: LoRa packe

And sometimes something like:

##### 2017-10-06 15:30:13 GMT #####
### [UPSTREAM] ###
# RF packets received by concentrator: 4
# CRC_OK: 75.00%, CRC_FAIL: 25.00%, NO_CRC: 0.00%
# RF packets forwarded: 3 (69 bytes)
# PUSH_DATA datagrams sent: 3 (724 bytes)
# PUSH_DATA acknowledged: 0.00%
### [DOWNSTREAM] ###
# PULL_DATA sent: 3 (0.00% acknowledged)
# PULL_RESP(onse) datagrams received: 0 (0 bytes)
# RF packets sent to concentrator: 0 (0 bytes)
# TX errors: 0
##### END #####

But nothing sent on the network interface eth0 which as static ip address (default config of the conduit, not modified… not sure the ETH interface is correctly working…. I have often some up/down logs of the iface…)

So just to sum up:

1/ My setup is: Lorawan devices –868MHz–> Conduit –ETH–> Server

2/ Is there any simple tutorial explaining the basics to flash the complete system with a simple packet UDP forwarder between the conduit and the server ? Flashing of the linux system and installation of the right packets ?

Thanks a lot for your help

Joel

[Jason Reiss]

Look for conduit mlinux convert to packet forwarder article in lora software.

[GUITTET JOEL]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for reply, I guess you mean this page : “http://www.multitech.net/developer/software/lora/conduit-mlinux-convert-to-basic-packet-forwarder/” ? That’s a little bit poor…

I have tried to follow it, but it is not successful. When starting the packet forwarder (/etc/init.d/lora-packet-forwarder start), it seems to start but I’m not sure… which binary should be visible using the ps command ?

root@mtcdt:~# /etc/init.d/lora-packet-forwarder start
Found MTAC-LORA-868 with MTAC-LORA-1.0 hardware
Starting lora-packet-forwarder: OK

In fact I really wonder about the default installation of the Conduit: I have connected my computer to the Ethernet port, set up with static IP address. Impossible to ping the PC, impossible to ping the Conduit. Impossible to open an SSH session whereas it is said it is possible… I have sometimes the network interface up/down in the console, I don’t know why…. Finally set up with dhcp on my LAN, but how udhcpc can be launched ? Network always up/down in this configuration… not stable at all.

Version of my Conduit :

root@mtcdt:~# cat /etc/mlinux-version
mLinux 3.3.6
Built from branch: (detachedfromf4f803d)
Revision: f4f803d9bdab9aece5b101496cad97710f920246

So I was thinking to flash the Conduit with the factory installation. I’m familiar with Yocto but impossible to build because IT restrictions …. 🙁 🙁 🙁 destiny is against me!

=> Any place I can get a full factory image of the Conduit with Ethernet working, SSH set up, packet forwarder inside, just with LORAWAN configuration to be finalized ?

Thanks for your help to every body,

Joel

[Jason Reiss]

Pre-built mLinux images are found on the downloads page.
The factory image will have all the pieces you need.

Network setup info can be found here.
http://www.multitech.net/developer/software/mlinux/getting-started-with-conduit-mlinux/

[GUITTET JOEL]

Hello Jason,

Thanks, finally found at http://www.multitech.net/developer/software/mlinux/using-mlinux/flashing-mlinux-firmware-for-conduit/, downloaded uImage and rootfs 3.3.13 and flashed according to the procedure “Detailed step” => My system has not been flashed at all.

So tried with uBoot, I have set up all the env variables and I’m using a TFTP server we use for other devices (so i know it’s ok on this part). Run krb but impossible to load file from the TFTP server….

U-Boot> run krb
macb0: PHY present at 0
macb0: link up, 100Mbps full-duplex (lpa: 0xc5e1)
Using macb0 device
TFTP from server 10.38.96.10; our IP address is 10.38.96.1
Filename ‘oe_uImage.bin’.
Load address: 0x20000000
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
Retry count exceeded; starting again
macb0: PHY present at 0
macb0: link up, 100Mbps full-duplex (lpa: 0xc5e1)
Using macb0 device
TFTP from server 10.38.96.10; our IP address is 10.38.96.1
Filename ‘oe_uImage.bin’.
Load address: 0x20000000
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
Retry count exceeded; starting again
macb0: PHY present at 0
macb0: link up, 100Mbps full-duplex (lpa: 0xc5e1)
Using macb0 device
TFTP from server 10.38.96.10; our IP address is 10.38.96.1
Filename ‘oe_uImage.bin’.
Load address: 0x20000000
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T

Tried to ping my TFTP server, respond when it is my PC but not from the Conduit:

U-Boot> ping 10.38.96.10
macb0: PHY present at 0
macb0: link up, 100Mbps full-duplex (lpa: 0xc5e1)
Using macb0 device
ping failed; host 10.38.96.10 is not alive

=> Is it possible I have some hardware issues on this Conduit, on the Ethernet port ?

Thanks for your help,
Joel

[Jason Reiss]

Please open a case at support.multitech.com. Our support engineers will walk you through the setup to flash your Conduit.

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