Lora can locate TDoA through multiple base stations

SX1303 adds Fine Timestamp capability which enables Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) network-based geolocation  functionality.

Lora can be used for TDoA positioning through multiple base stations, mainly for outdoor open environment, such as free-range cows, 

etc. Its positioning accuracy is estimated at 50 to 100 meters, but compared to GPS and other high power consumption, Lora

positioning is far better than GPS.

From the current point of view, the use of Lora to do positioning should be relatively small, because the distance between the base

stations is relatively far, synchronization is difficult.

The Semtech LR1110 is the first chip based on LoRa Edge technology.

At present, there are many kinds of positioning technologies on the market, such as WiFi positioning, GPS positioning, cellular base

station positioning, UWB, etc., but these positioning technologies have the problems of expensive BOM, too many components,

expensive security solutions and too much power consumption. This also makes these location technologies unsuitable for many

cost - and power-sensitive iot applications.

The LR1110 chip launched by Semtech based on LoRa Edge positioning technology innovatively adds low-power Wi-Fi passive

scanning, multi-constellation GNSS scanner and other technologies, combined with easy-to-use and cost-effective LoRa Cloud

geo-positioning and device management services. Significantly reduces the cost and complexity of using iot to locate and monitor

assets.

The LR1110's built-in multi-constellation GNSS scanner can capture part of the satellite broadcast signal, then aggregate the signal

into the NAV message and send it to the cloud server to obtain location information. The LR1110's built-in multi-constellation GNSS

scanner supports GPS L1 GPS geostationary orbit satellite positioning. At present, the global development of SBAS system (using

geostationary orbit satellites to establish the regional wide area differential augmenting system) mainly includes the European Space

Agency receiving Satellite Navigation System (EGNOS), the United States Raytheon Company's wide Area augmenting system

(WAAS), Japan's multi-function satellite augmenting system (MSAS), and the three have fully compatible interoperability. The LR1110's

built-in multi-constellation GNSS scanner supports EGNOS WAAS positioning. In addition, the LR1110 multi-constellation GNSS

scanner also supports Beidou B1 geostationary orbit GEO/IGSO positioning.

Similarly, the LR1110's multi-constellation GNSS scanner only acquires satellite data and does not process data locally like many GPS

positioning devices do, but sends the data directly to the cloud for processing, thereby reducing power consumption. At the same time,

the LoRa base station can also provide LR1110 with assistance parameters, such as a rough estimate of the initial position of the device,

the current time, the compensated reference frequency error, the latest version of Almanac, and so on, to improve the accuracy of

positioning. Information about LR1110 customized for the LPWAN can also reduce throughput and power consumption.