for example - if I have RPI + some LoRa HAT (like this)
can I install CS NET SRV to this RPI and have ability to send downlink messages to LoRaWAN nodes?
and all this - without GW in this environment.
just choose the address of node on web interface of CS and send downlink message and receive answer.
I dont need this normal GWs capability - to have many channels, etc, I just need to send request from server side to node and after this receive an answer.
and all of this - via LoRaWaN protocol…
I would like to test this cheaper way before I make sure that Im really need to buy GW hardware…
Gateways are a necessary part of LoRaWAN architecture so you cannot run a network like Chirpstack without them. However, with an RPI and a LoRa Hat you already have the necessary components for a gateway.
If you download the Full Chirpstack Gateway OS your RPI will act as a gateway to send LoRa downlinks directly to nodes, but the image also comes with the full network / application server component as well.
The only thing to note is that the HAT you linked doesn’t seem to be in the supported shields list and that would likely cause issues.
So to clarify you do not need to buy an additional gateway. You can have your RPI function as both the gateway and the Chirpstack server.
thank for your answers!
but it lead me to generate some new questions)
so, as far I understand now - for sending “downlink” requests to LoRaWAN nodes I need install CS GW on the RPI 4. this would be “software part”
and “hardware part” should be some RPI Hat with LoRaWAN capability.
this list with supported shields contains only HAT’s with concentrators modules which based on SX130* chips or RAK specific chips - all of them DEISGNED to works as gateways - which mean that they can support multi-channels for work with many nodes simultaneously.
but so far I dont need such capabilities and Im looking for way to send downlink requests to nodes one by one:
send requests to one node - receive answer, then send request to second node, receive answer and so on…
if not - I have to order “gateway” HAT, which much expensive and I just will not use all of it capability.
I hope there is a way to communicate LoRaWAN devices each other and have some webserver with dashboard where would be possible prepare requests, send-receive it, check and keep all data from these nodes…
UPD:
I think I need single-channel GW?
so is it possible to build such GW on Chirpstack? if so - which RPI Hat do I need for it?
Yes, and you will want to download the CS GW OS Full Image which comes with the network server as well as the basic gateway functionality.
As for your concerns about the LoRa HAT, I really cannot speak to whether or not it would be possible. My intuition is that while you could create a regional .toml file using a single frequency for both the uplink and downlink, the single band HAT itself would not innately work with Chirpstack. If the API for the HAT is not the same as one the HATs in the supported list, Chirpstack would not be able to use it.