Off-Grid Communication: Innovating Satellite Tech with Diego Lozano from Somewear Labs

Over the Air · 15 Aug 2024 · 17m

What this episode covers

Diego Lozano, Head of Hardware Engineering at Somewear Labs, explains how the company pivoted from consumer satellite communicators to operational mesh networks with their new product, No. He details the technical challenges of integrating LoRa mesh with Iridium satellite backhaul, specifically focusing on RF interference from power supplies and the difficulties of achieving IP68 waterproofing in compact enclosures. Lozano also discusses the strategic shift toward edge AI for low-bandwidth telemetry and highlights their integration with Whoop for biometric monitoring.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 26m

    Low-Cost IoT Connectivity with Satellites | Wyld Networks’ Alastair Williamson

    Alastair Williamson, CEO of Wyld Networks, explains how his company provides affordable, low-power satellite IoT connectivity by connecting LoRaWAN sensors to low Earth orbit satellites. He details the engineering challenges of mitigating interference in the unlicensed ISM band and highlights use cases in agriculture, supply chain, and energy where global coverage is critical. Williamson notes that Wyld Networks is preparing for a commercial launch in the second half of 2022, aiming to unlock a massive market for remote IoT devices.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 10m

    Just Terrestrial and Space Things

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the development of the AEV multimeter, detailing the complexity of the HY3131 chipset and the challenges of writing custom firmware without official support. They also cover Chris's recent travels to the Things Conference to explore LoRaWAN technology, the announcement of Ben Heck's retirement, and the successful Falcon Heavy launch by SpaceX.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 20m

    An Interview with JP Norair

    JP Norair of Haystack Technologies explains how his company uses LoRa hardware with custom firmware and error correction to achieve superior range and quality of service compared to standard LoRaWAN stacks. He details his background with the DASH7 standard for campus-level asset tracking and discusses his consulting work with startups, including the SolPad solar storage system which uses decentralized industrial networking. Norair also shares practical advice on antenna design, recommending the use of high-frequency ceramic chip antennas from Johanson to simplify tuning for various frequencies.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 30m

    Satellite Connectivity and the LPWA Landscape | Totum Labs’ Ted Meyers

    Ted Meyers, CEO and co-founder of Totum Labs, explains how the company is commercializing its Doppler Multi-channel Spread Spectrum (DMSS) technology to provide low-power, global connectivity via a low Earth orbit satellite network. Meyers details the limitations of terrestrial LPWAN solutions like RPMA and LoRa, highlighting the high cost of infrastructure, and contrasts this with Totum's approach of using small, integrated silicon to enable thumbnail-sized devices with multi-year battery life. He outlines the company's business model, which targets solution providers in asset tracking, livestock monitoring, and smart labels, noting that the first satellite launch is scheduled for June 2021.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 07m

    An Interview with Maarten Engelen

    Maarten Engelen, CTO of Hiber, explains how his company leverages low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide global IoT connectivity for remote applications. He details the technical trade-offs in satellite design, including orbital decay, thermal cycling, and the use of star trackers for attitude determination, as well as the regulatory complexities of securing frequency licenses. Engelen also describes the Hiber modem module, highlighting its ultra-low power consumption, small form factor, and the strategy of handling all international certifications to simplify deployment for customers in industries like agriculture and logistics.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Over the Air. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.