Semtech Corporation announced the upgraded launch of the LoRa® Developer Portal, which makes it easier for developers, regardless of experience level, to quickly build Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected with the LoRaWAN standard.

The updated portal gives developers low-risk avenues for building with LoRa. With kits and tutorials, developers can create prototypes quickly and cost effectively to see how LoRaWAN can work for their IoT solutions. The portal offers a significant number of resources for developers at every level including education on the basics of LoRaWAN, creating a network, deploying a full-scale commercial solution, and more.

“As a community of developers, we understand the unique challenges we all face when building IoT solutions, which is why we felt strongly about putting in place a portal that provides access to tools, training and educational materials to get the answers you need quickly,” said Steve Hegenderfer, senior director, developer ecosystem at Semtech. “Our intent is that developers can use this portal to learn how to make their visions a reality and get a better understanding of how to use Semtech’s LoRa devices and LoRaWAN when developing their IoT solutions.”

According to IoT Analytics, spending on enterprise IoT solutions grew 12.1% in 2020 to $128.9 billion. With IoT devices today doing everything from industrial automation to solving complex technical issues with multiple connectivity options for developers— building IoT devices and solutions is more complex than ever— and developers need additional resources and guidance to build and test device connectivity efficiently. The new features of the portal aim to help developers bring their ideas to life. With access to the support, materials and community insights they need, developers can see their projects through from development to implementation.

Key features include:

• Interactive Tutorials provide instructional videos, text and an application programming interface (API) sandbox to give developers what they need to easily develop and deploy solutions
• New and improved community page brings developers together to get answers to common questions, while working with each other to build their solutions
• LoRaWAN Academy™ offers a complete curriculum for students and professionals interested in creating long range IoT solutions
• Hands-On Labs offers detailed walk-throughs to help developers learn how to build, develop and deploy solutions with LoRaWAN
• The Semtech Network Server, built on the ChirpStack open-source network server using the LoRaWAN standard, provides a hosted development environment that can be used for prototyping IoT solutions featuring LoRa devices deployed on a LoRaWAN network

In the coming months, the LoRa Developer Portal will be offering additional upgrades, including tools that will help developers better anticipate the types of battery life and area coverage they can expect from their devices with LoRaWAN.