Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1468291
COMPLEMENTARY TECHNOLOGIES: LoRaWAN ® & BLUETOOTH www.lora-alliance.org 5 MultiTech SiteXTender Works with DeWalt Tool Connect SITUATION: On construction sites, there are covetable, shared tools that often become misplaced, hoarded or even stolen. DeWalt, a division of Stanley Black & Decker, recognized this issue and now provides its customers asset tracking capabilities by adding Bluetooth sensors to tools so that workers can easily locate assets using their smart phones. PROBLEM: The signal strength of Bluetooth sensors varies depending on where a worker is on a construction site and the number of Bluetooth gateways that have been installed. While people know and understand how Bluetooth works— making it user-friendly—it is cost prohibitive for construction companies to create an adequate network of Bluetooth gateways for successful asset management. If a tool is far from a Bluetooth gateway, it is impossible to discover. SOLUTION: MultiTech's SiteXtender connects BLE enabled tools, tags, and sensors to transmit over LoRaWAN ® networks, providing extended connectivity. This solution works with DEWALT's Tool Connect Site Manager. The SiteXtender network elements audit tool status and deliver useful information to DEWALT's Site Manager, including battery level, usage, and location information (proximity). By using LoRaWAN to aggregate data on job sites, construction companies can quickly scale from small to large campus deployment and track tools across multiple job sites. Adopting a LoRaWAN infrastructure opens up options to connect more assets with extended range and battery life while helping to eliminate "dead spots" that trouble Bluetooth networks. BUSINESS IMPACT: LoRaWAN ® is an excellent technology for the construction industry as the radio technology can penetrate concrete and metal and is an optimized for battery powered devices. The technology is secure and flexible and supports a wide range of back haul connectivity types (Cellular, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi). SiteXtender allows companies to move from smart to connected devices while maximizing return on investments of the existing BLE embedded tools. Adopting a LoRaWAN ® infrastructure opens up options to connect more assets with extended range and battery life while helping to eliminate "dead spots" that trouble Bluetooth networks. THERE ARE 3 NETWORK ELEMENTS: LoRaWAN Network 1 2 3 DEWALT iBeacons DCE042 Internal Tags & DCE041 External Tags Outdoor Battery Power BLE – LoRaWAN Bridge