Off-the-shelf hardware to cut development time & focused on usability and portability

In past installations of LoRa-based water meters, several locations were later discovered to have poor LoRa signal coverage — after installation had already occurred. This led to delays, costly rework, and customer dissatisfaction.

The client needed a pre-deployment validation tool to test LoRa connectivity during site surveys — before committing to installations.

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Our Solution

We designed a battery-powered LoRa range tester using the TTGO T-Beam V1.1 (ESP32 + LoRa 868MHz) development board — an off-the-shelf, cost-effective hardware solution.

Hardware Platform

• Board: TTGO T-Beam V1.1 (ESP32 + SX1276 LoRa chip)
• Frequency Band: 868 MHz (India-compatible)
• Battery-Powered: For true field portability

Operating Modes

• Continuous Transfer Mode:
  Toggle switch sends LoRa packets at fixed intervals for signal strength evaluation.
• On-Demand Transfer Mode:
  A push button enables manual single-shot transmission when needed.

These two modes give field engineers flexibility depending on whether they’re conducting live signal monitoring or point-in-time validation.

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Results & Benefits

• Enabled real-time LoRa feasibility checks during site surveys
• Eliminated guesswork and reduced post-install failures
• Improved deployment planning and ROI for the water meter rollouts
• Reduced technician re-visits and enhanced field ops efficiency

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Key Features

• Built with ESP32: Using off-the-shelf TTGO T-Beam for rapid development
• LoRa 868MHz: Operates within India’s ISM band
• Battery Operated: Easy to carry and use in remote locations
• Dual Modes: Continuous & On-Demand
• Feasibility Tool: Designed specifically to avoid post-install connectivity surprises

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