Overview of the Sigfox Technology & Services Used as support for a webinar to Sigfox partners (Universities, Developers & Startups) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1PaypiGO4Q

1. Technology
Overview
Webinar - May 16th, 2018

2. Presented by: Nicolas Lesconnec
Head of Technology Adoption @Sigfox
Email : nicolas.lesconnec@sigfox.com

3. Sigfox architecture
x

4. LPWAN - Low Power Wide Area Network
LPWA definition
▪ High density of objects
▪ Reduced Hardware cost
▪ Reduced connectivity cost
▪ Low data rates
▪ Constrained latency

5. Purpose
Get useful data from your assets, environment,
systems
At a very low cost
In a very simple way

6. Radio Properties

7. Ultra Narrow Band
868.0 868.2
f (MHz)
192 KHz wide
100 Hz
Currently spreads on a 200KHz part of the spectrum
High spectrum efficiency 1bit/s = 1Hz of bandwidth
Each message is ~100Hz wide
✓
✓
✓

8. Ultra Narrow Band

9. Random Access
Unsynchronized transmission between the network and the device
The device transfers a small amount of energy on a random frequency with no protocol
overhead (frequency hopping)
SIGFOX Base stations permanently listen to the spectrum and interpret received UNB signals
The same frame is sent 3 times enabling time and frequency diversity
Frame1 @F1
Frame2 @F2
Frame3 @F3
Uplink message
t1
t2
t3
2.08s for 12B payload
Frequency
Time
✓
✓
✓
✓

10. High Network Capacity
Success rate vs. input load
0,00 %
25,00 %
50,00 %
75,00 %
100,00 %
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Pure non-slotted Aloha w/ spatial div. w/ repetitionsIndoor penetration
Nb of messages / station
>1M
other wireless
technologies
UNB
Frequency &
Time diversity
Spatial
diversity
+ + = Massive capacity &
High Quality of Service

11. Spectrum efficiency & capacity

12. Small messages
1 % duty cycle for Objects
Up to 6 messages/hour
UPLINK
12-Byte payload
- Sensor data
- Event status
- GPS fix
- Application data
DOWNLINK
8-Byte payload
- Action / actuator trigger
- Device management
- Application parameter setting
10 % duty cycle for Base Stations
4 guaranteed downlink msg/day
SIGFOX
CLOUD

13. Bi-directional communication
Requested by the device to the network
Static downlink message size of 8 bytes
Agreed frequency of downlink
✓
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14. High Energy Efficiency
Designed to maximize
energy efficiency
No Pairing
10 to 50mA during a few
seconds (25mW; 14dB)
depending on the chip and
the size of the payload
Idle consumption: negligible
Idle state
Communication state
6 nA
30 mA
Current
Time
~6 sec
99.x% of the time
✓
✓
✓
✓

15. 🌍Network based geolocation
You can locate your assets with a dedicated
service (Sigfox Atlas)
Applies to every Sigfox device, regardless
of their components

16. Hardware
solutions

17. Open Ecosystem
Sigfox is not a hardware vendor
Ecosystem of established partners

18. Hardware
Sigfox is not a hardware vendor
Ecosystem of established partners & module makers

19. Security

20. Security

21. Strong Security Mechanisms

22. Coverage

23. Global network
Sigfox is offering a global network, not a solution to
build private networks
Roaming is included is the standard service
Devices will work the same all over the network

24. National deployments
All deployments aims to achieve a nationwide coverage
quickly
Low density of access points : metropolitan France is
covered with 2200 stations
Low cost of base stations + Small number = Low CAPEX &
Low OPEX = Low subscription costs

25. Network densification
You can rent a Sigfox mini access station from your
local Sigfox Operator
Useful to improve coverage on isolated sites, or for
underground and deep indoor communication

27. East Asia

30. Sigfox Radio Zones
RC1 RC2 RC3 RC4
Frequency 868 MHz 902 MHz 923 MHz 920 MHz
Power output 14 dBm 22 dBm 14 dBm 22 dBm
Countries
Europe
Middle East
Africa
North America
Brazil
Japan Asia
South America

31. Testing tools
• SDR Dongle
• End to End testing (not for prod)
• RSA (Radio Signal Analyzer)
• Included in SDR dongle
• Test radio compliance
• Litepoint analyzer IQxel-M
• RF testing (WiFi, BLE, Sigfox)
• Manufacturing tests
• Pre-certification

32. Cloud

33. Get your data
View messages : Sigfox web platform
Get messages : REST API (pull)
Receive new messages : HTTP Callbacks (push)

35. Callbacks
Each message received from your devices will be forwarded to
your application server(s)
Fully customizable HTTP requests
Used to send data back to the device as well
Easy integration with major Cloud solutions :
AWS, MS Azure, IBM, Samsung, SAP, theThings.io, Thingworx, …

36. Downlink messages
A downlink message can be
Semi automatic : sent directly by the network
Custom : sent by your own application server

37. Geolocation - Atlas service
Specific callback
Receive on your server :
Computed lat/lng
Radius in meters