Publicação
Development of an IoT end-device with LEO satellite communication support
| Resumo: | As the demand for environmental data grows, monitoring remote areas, such as oceans and forests, presents significant challenges due to the absence of traditional communication infrastructure. To overcome these limitations, this work, developed in collaboration with dstelecom and Lacuna Space, focuses on the development of a Long Range (LoRa) based Internet of Things (IoT) device capable of direct communication with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. This approach enables data transmission without reliance on terrestrial gateways, thereby facilitating reliable environmental data collection in geographically isolated locations, while maintaining the low energy consumption essential for long-term deployments. Moreover, this research aligns with the emerging paradigm of the Internet of Remote Things (IoRT), which extends traditional IoT concepts to autonomous devices operating in isolated regions. To validate this concept, a prototype featuring sensors and a transceiver was engineered, managed by a predictive firmware. Using the Lacuna Soft Modem (LSM) library and an onboard almanac, the device autonomously predicts satellite passes, waking up only when a satellite is visible, thereby saving energy. Additionally, the firmware employs a hybrid logic with two modes, a buffer mode for storing data collected asynchronously and an immediate mode for real-time updates. Experimental results confirmed the system’s operational viability. The device established communication with the Lacuna Space constellation, validating the physical layer and link budget. It successfully transmitted encrypted payloads while complying with regulatory duty cycle limits. Although the energy harvesting subsystem faced implementation challenges, the core objectives of communication, sensing, and scheduling were fully met, proving that predictive Direct-to-Satellite IoT is a feasible solution for global remote monitoring. |
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| Autores principais: | Cruz, Mariana Ferreira da |
| Assunto: | Direct-to-satellite IoT device IoT via satellite IoRT LEO LoRa Dispositivo IoT IoT via satélite |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Minho |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Resumo: | As the demand for environmental data grows, monitoring remote areas, such as oceans and forests, presents significant challenges due to the absence of traditional communication infrastructure. To overcome these limitations, this work, developed in collaboration with dstelecom and Lacuna Space, focuses on the development of a Long Range (LoRa) based Internet of Things (IoT) device capable of direct communication with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. This approach enables data transmission without reliance on terrestrial gateways, thereby facilitating reliable environmental data collection in geographically isolated locations, while maintaining the low energy consumption essential for long-term deployments. Moreover, this research aligns with the emerging paradigm of the Internet of Remote Things (IoRT), which extends traditional IoT concepts to autonomous devices operating in isolated regions. To validate this concept, a prototype featuring sensors and a transceiver was engineered, managed by a predictive firmware. Using the Lacuna Soft Modem (LSM) library and an onboard almanac, the device autonomously predicts satellite passes, waking up only when a satellite is visible, thereby saving energy. Additionally, the firmware employs a hybrid logic with two modes, a buffer mode for storing data collected asynchronously and an immediate mode for real-time updates. Experimental results confirmed the system’s operational viability. The device established communication with the Lacuna Space constellation, validating the physical layer and link budget. It successfully transmitted encrypted payloads while complying with regulatory duty cycle limits. Although the energy harvesting subsystem faced implementation challenges, the core objectives of communication, sensing, and scheduling were fully met, proving that predictive Direct-to-Satellite IoT is a feasible solution for global remote monitoring. |
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