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TheThingsNetwork Integration

Overview

TheThingsNetwork is LoRaWAN network designed for connecting your devices using LoRaWAN stack. After integrating TheThingsNetwork with the IoT Hub, you can connect, communicate, process and visualize data from devices in the IoT Hub IoT platform.

TheThingsNetwork setup

Register Application

The first step is to create an application in TheThingsNetwork console. Go to console, open Applications section, press add application button and fill required fields.

  • Application ID - tb_applciation
  • Handler registration - ttn-handler-eu

Handler registration - used to identify region where application will be registered. In our example it will be eu region.

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Payload Decoder

Our device submits data in binary format. We have 2 options where to decode this data:

  • TheThingsNetwork decoder - data will be decoded before entering the IoT Hub
  • IoT Hub converters - uplink/downlink converters will be used to decode data from binary format into JSON

In this tutorial, we will make an initial transformation into JSON with TTN decoder and then use IoT Hub converters for correct data processing. In real life scenario, it is up to you where to decode/encode data, because it is possible to do this on any side.

After application registered in TTN, go to payload_formats, select decoder function. We will take the first byte as a temperature value from a device and transform it into JSON.

Decode Function

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function Decoder(bytes, port) {
  var decoded = {temperature: bytes[0]};
  return decoded;
}

Output json:

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{
  "temperature": 15
}

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Press Save payload function

Device Registration in TheThingsNetwork

Next step is a Device creation in the TTN. Open Devices page and press register device

  • Device ID - thermostat_a
  • Device EUI - press generate button for generating random identified

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Press Register button.

Integration with the IoT Hub

In the TheThingsNetwork, we already make all required configuration (register device, decoder function, and register application). Now we can start configuring the IoT Hub.

First, we need to create Uplink Data converter that will be used for receiving messaged from the TTN. The converter should transform incoming payload into the required message format. Message must contains deviceName and deviceType. Those fields are used for submitting data to the correct device. If a device was not found then new device will be created. Here is how payload from TheThingsNetwork will look like:

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{
    "app_id": "tb_platform",
    "dev_id": "thermostat_a",
    "hardware_serial": "*********",
    "port": 1,
    "counter": 0,
    "payload_raw": "Dw==",
    "payload_fields": {
        "temperature": 15
    },
    "metadata": {
        "time": "2018-06-07T17:31:18.670792607Z"
    }
}

We will take dev_id and map it to the deviceName and app_id map to the deviceType. But you can use another mapping in your specific use cases. Also, we will take the value of the temperature field and use it as a device telemetry.

Go to Data Converters and create new uplink Converter with this function:

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var data = decodeToJson(payload);
var deviceName = data.dev_id;
var deviceType = data.app_id;

var result = {
    deviceName: deviceName,
    deviceType: deviceType,
    telemetry: {
         temperature: data.payload_fields.temperature
    }
};

function decodeToString(payload) {
    return String.fromCharCode.apply(String, payload);
}

function decodeToJson(payload) {
    var str = decodeToString(payload);
    var data = JSON.parse(str);
    return data;
}

return result;

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For sending Downlink messages from the IoT Hub to the device inside TTN, we need to define downlink Converter. In general, output from Downlink converter should have the following structure:

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{
    "contentType": "JSON",
    "data": "{\"port\":1,\"confirmed\":false,\"payload_fields\":{\"version\":\"0.11\"}}",
    "metadata": {
        "devId": "thermostat_a"
    }
}
  • contentType - defines how data will be encoded {TEXT | JSON | BINARY}
  • data - actual data that will be sent to the device in TTN. More details about API can be foind in this TTN API
  • metadata - in this object you should place correct devId value that will be used to identify target device in TTN

Go to Data Converters and create new downlink Converter with this function:

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var data = {
      port: 1,                
      confirmed: false,      
      payload_fields: {
          version: msg.version
      }
    };

var result = {
    contentType: "JSON",
    data: JSON.stringify(data),
    metadata: {
        devId: 'thermostat_a'
    }

};

return result;

This converter will take version field from the incoming message and add it is a payload field in the outbound message. Destination device is a thermostat_a device.

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TTN Integration

Next we will create Integration with TheThingsNetwork inside the IoT Hub. Open Integrations section and add new Integration with type TheThingsNetwork

  • Name: ttn_integration
  • Type: TheThingsNetwork
  • Uplink data converter: ttn_converter
  • Downlink data converter: ttn_downlink_version
  • Region: eu (region where your application was registered inside TTN)
  • Application ID: tb_platform (use Application ID from TTN)
  • Access Key: use Access Key from TTN

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Validation

Lets verify our integration. Go to the device thermostat_a page in TheThingsNetwork. Scroll to the Simulate Uplink section. Our device will publish temperature 0F (15). So enter 0F into payload field and press Send button.

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Go to Device Group -> All -> thermostat_a - you can see that

  • new device was registered in the thingsboard
  • In the Latest Telemetry section you will see that last submitted temperature = 15.

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For testing Downlink Messages, we will update our Root Rule Chain to send downlink message when device attribute is changed. Open and edit Root Rule Chain. Add Integration Downlink Action node and connect it with the Message Type Switch Node using relation Attributes Updated

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Save Changes.

Go to Device Group -> All -> thermostat_a -> attributes section. We will add Shared attribute with name version and value v.0.11

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By making this step, we triggered downlink message to the device thermostat_a and this message should contains version field value. Open TTN Console, navigate to tb_platfrom application, to the section Data. And we see that Downlink message was received.

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See also

With this integration you can also configure Downlink converters and trigger required actions using Rule Engine nodes.

Next steps

  • Getting started guides - These guides provide quick overview of main IoT Hub features. Designed to be completed in 15-30 minutes.