How to quickly certify a LoRaWAN® end-device at a lower cost and be listed on the LoRaWAN CertifiedCM Showcase to drive sales
The market and end users have long recognized the importance of certified devices. However, for manufactures seeking certification, the process can be frustrating and costly in terms of time, money and resources. That is why the LoRa Alliance® has created the LoRaWAN Certification program to achieve the greatest number of LoRaWAN CertifiedCM devices in the most efficient and cost-effective way. We’re pleased to share that the LoRa Alliance has worked to address your needs of reduced cost, time and complexity. We are proud to introduce a 50% reduction in the cost of additional licenses of the LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool (LCTT) and re-introduce Certification by Similarity.
Benefits of LoRaWAN Certification
Customers need to trust that the LoRaWAN device they deploy will perform to expectation for many years. There is no better way to offer this assurance than to provide LoRaWAN CertifiedCM devices – the only kind of devices that the LoRa Alliance officially promotes.
Most tenders, RFPs and network operators now require end-devices to be certified. Certification-by-Similarity can save significant time and resources while ensuring the best of practices for interoperability, network robustness, and security.
LoRaWAN certification is available only to LoRa Alliance members. The LoRa Alliance does not charge for LoRaWAN Certification, unlike many other technology Alliances. However, the Authorized Test Houses charge fees to cover the testing of your devices. That is why the LCTT is so important in reducing cost and time. Once you have done your own testing on the LCTT, you know it will pass fast and easy at the Authorized Test Houses.
LoRaWAN CertifiedCM end-devices are promoted on the online LoRaWAN CertifiedCM Showcase (URL), giving certified end-devices a higher rank in Internet searches. Hassle-free, no-charge pre-certification testing can be performed using the LCTT at your location, and certification processes are run in testing houses across the globe. Learn more about Certification-by-Similarity here: https://lora-alliance.org/lorawan-certification/
The LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool (LCTT) – 50% Price Reduction
The LoRa Alliance is very happy to announce a 50% price reduction in the cost of additional LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool licenses (LCTT). The fist LCTT license has always been free for our members. Because more and more members have opted for additional LCTT licenses, we are extremely happy to announce the reduction in price from $2,000 to $1,000.
The LCTT is a software tool that has been developed for all LoRa Alliance device manufacturers to pre-test their device in their own labs before sending them off to an Authorized Test House for LoRaWAN Certification Testing. The LCTT saves significant cost for end device manufacturers in terms of time, money and resources needed to pass LoRaWAN Certification at an Authorized Test House. For detailed information, visit the LCTT tab of the Certification page on our website.
Key LCTT Benefits:
• Saves time for LoRaWAN Certification
• Reduces LoRaWAN Certification Cost
• Fewer development resources needed to obtain LoRaWAN Certification
• Reduces device time to market
• First License free to members. Additional license price reduced by 50%
Certification by Similarity
Certification-by-Similarity is a feature which allows businesses to leverage the certified status of another certified end-device, even if that end-device is made by another manufacturer. Certification by Similarity is extremely fast - usually just a few workdays – and significantly reduces the time and cost of the testing cycle. This is a great benefit to device manufacturers who wish to utilize an existing LoRaWAN capable module in their product, or who are making several different products all using a common LoRaWAN building block. For example, a sensor manufacturer that simply swaps a sensing element across multiple different products while keeping the LoRaWAN portion the same.
Below is a high-level overview on how to take advantage of Certification-by-Similarity, however, for detailed information, go to LoRaWAN Certification section of our website. To take advantage of Certification-by-Similarity, a new end-device must be derived from an end-device previously awarded LoRaWAN certification. According to the LoRa Alliance Certification Policies, Processes and Procedures, minor differences are allowed under the principles of Certification by Similarity; for example, power supply, antenna, external case, etc. However, different radio hardware, radio firmware, or different LoRaWAN protocol software will require individual certification testing. The basic steps to Certification-by-Similarity when using another manufacturer’s LoRaWAN implementation are as follows:
1. Search the LoRaWAN CertifiedCM Showcase for a certified end-device that is like the one you want to certify: https://lora-alliance.org/showcase/search/?_sfm_lorawan_certified_device=certified. You can filter your search in several different ways, including by regulatory certification, vertical market, regional parameters, and specification version.
a. Note: manufacturers making another sensor variation of an existing LoRaWAN CertifiedCM device can skip this step.
2. On the end-device landing page, you will find contact information for the maker’s technical team. Contact them and to determine if Certification-by-Similarity is possible using their end-device.
3. Once you’re ready to certify, follow the Certification-by-Similarity process below by contacting an Authorized Test House (ATH):
Certification-by-Similarity Process
Reference: https://lora-alliance.org/lorawan-certification/
Key Certification-by-Similarity Benefits:
• Significant cost savings for certifying additional LoRaWAN devices
• Leveraging existing LoRaWAN certified modules or devices significantly reduces development time
• Ability to cost-effectively and significantly expand LoRaWAN CertifiedCM device portfolio
• LoRaWAN CertifiedCM time to market greatly reduced
