TN1300.

03

Physical Layer Proposal 2.4GHz

Physical Layer Proposal 2.4GHz Page i

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Table of Contents
List of figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
List of tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. The 2.4GHz Regional Parameters: ISM2400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1. ISM2400 Preamble Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2. ISM2400 Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3. ISM2400 Data Rate and End Device Output Power encoding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.4. ISM2400 JoinAccept CFList. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.5. Frequency Encoding in MAC Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.6. ISM2400 Maximum Payload Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.7. ISM2400 Receive Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.8. ISM2400 Class B Beacon and Default Downlink Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.9. ISM2400 Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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List of figures
Figure 1. Default Channels that Must Be Implemented

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List of tables
Table 1. Physical Parameters
Table 2. Default Channels
Table 3. JoinReq Channel List
Table 4. Data Rate Encoding
Table 5. Transmit Power Levels
Table 6. CFList Encoding
Table 7. Channel Mask Control Encoding
Table 8. Payload Size Limits
Table 9. Payload limits without repeaters
Table 10. RX1 Data Rate Offset
Table 11. Beacon Physical Layer Settings
Table 12. Beacon Frame Encoding
Table 13. Recommended Default Settings

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Chapter 1. Overview
To provide a low-cost, worldwide, single bill-of-materials solution for LoRa® operation, Semtech proposes a physical layer for the 2.4GHz global ISM
band with the emulation of a LoRaWAN® protocol through an additional set of regional parameters.

For ease of understanding and application, we present the proposed parameters in exactly the same format as a conventional set of regional
parameters, herein referred to as ISM2400.

NOTE LoRa at 2.4GHz is not a project supported by the LoRa Alliance® or any LoRaWAN protocol projects within its working groups.

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Chapter 2. The 2.4GHz Regional Parameters: ISM2400

2.1. ISM2400 Preamble Format

The following synchronization words, datarates, and preamble lengths should be used:

Table 1. Physical Parameters

Modulation Sync word LoRa Datarate Preamble length

LoRa 0x21 DR0-DR5 8 symbols

DR6-DR7 12 symbols

FLRC TBD TBD TBD

2.2. ISM2400 Frequencies

In principle, network channels can be attributed by the network operator; however, the following three default channels must be implemented. These
are shown in the diagram below, together with the other frequently-occupied channels in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Wi-Fi channels 1, 6, and 11 are shown
in red and BLE advertising channels shown in blue (all frequencies are in MHz).

Figure 1. Default Channels that Must Be Implemented

The end device must be capable of operating on these channels and the gateways should receive on them continuously.

The table below shows the ISM2400 default channels:

Table 2. Default Channels

Modulation Bandwidth [kHz] Channel LoRa DR Nb Channels Duty cycle

Frequency [MHz]

LoRa 812 2403 DR0 to DR7 3 TBC

2425
2479

ISM2400-compatible end devices shall be capable of operating in the 2400 to 2480 MHz frequency band and shall feature a channel data structure to
store the parameters of at least 16 channels. The channel data structure corresponds to a frequency and the corresponding set of data rates usable on

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that frequency.

The first three channels correspond to 2403, 2425, and 2479 MHz / DR0 to DR7. They must be implemented in every end device. These default channels
cannot be modified through the NewChannelReq command; this guarantees a minimal common channel set among end devices and network gateways.

The following table lists the frequencies that shall be used by end devices to broadcast the JoinReq message. The JoinReq message transmit duty-cycle
shall follow the rules described in the Retransmissions back-off chapter of the LoRaWAN specification document.

The following table shows the ISM2400 JoinReq Channel List:

Table 3. JoinReq Channel List

Modulation Bandwidth [kHz] Channel Frequency LoRa DR Nb Channels

[MHz]

LoRa 812 2403 DR0 - DR7 3

2425
2479

2.3. ISM2400 Data Rate and End Device Output Power encoding
There is no dwell time limitation for the ISM2400 PHY layer. Therefore, the TxParamSetupReq MAC command MUST be implemented in ISM2400
devices.

The following encoding is used for data rate (DR) and end device EIRP (TXPower) in the ISM2400 band:

Table 4. Data Rate Encoding

Data Rate Configuration Indicative physical bit rate [bit/s]

0 LoRa: SF12 / 812kHz 1.2k

1 LoRa: SF11 / 812kHz 2.1k

2 LoRa: SF10 / 812kHz 3.9k

3 LoRa: SF9 / 812kHz 7.1k

4 LoRa: SF8 / 812kHz 12.7k

5 LoRa: SF7 / 812kHz 22.2k

6 LoRa: SF6 / 812kHz 38k

7 LoRa: SF5 / 812kHz 63k

8 … 15 RFU

EIRP refers to the Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power in dBm, which is the radiated output power associated with an isotropic antenna radiating
power equally in all directions, and whose gain is expressed in dBi. The following table shows the EIRP values that correspond with different Transmit
Power levels.

Table 5. Transmit Power Levels

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TXPower Configuration (EIRP)

0 Max EIRP

1 Max EIRP - 2dB

2 Max EIRP - 4dB

3 Max EIRP - 6dB

4 Max EIRP - 8dB

5 Max EIRP - 10dB

6 Max EIRP - 12dB

7 Max EIRP - 14dB

8 … 15 RFU

By default Max EIRP shall be +10dBm to guarantee initial compliance worldwide. The maximum EIRP can be modified by the network server through the
TxParamSetupReq MAC command. It should be used by both the end device and the network server once TxParamSetupReq is acknowledged by the
device via TxParamSetupAns.

If the end device cannot achieve +10dBm EIRP, the device’s maximum EIRP should be communicated to the network server using an out-of-band
channel during the end device commissioning process.

2.4. ISM2400 JoinAccept CFList

The ISM2400 regional parameters implement an optional channel frequency list (CFlist) of 16 octets in the JoinAccept message.

In this case, the CFList is a list of five channel frequencies for the channels three to seven, whereby each frequency is encoded as a 24-bit unsigned
integer (three octets). All of these channels are usable for DR0 to DR7 812 kHz LoRa modulation. The list of frequencies is followed by a single
CFListType octet, for a total of 16 octets. The CFListType SHALL be equal to zero (0) to indicate that the CFList contains a list of frequencies.

Table 6. CFList Encoding

Size 3 3 3 3 3 1
(bytes)

CFList Freq Ch3 Freq Ch4 Freq Ch5 Freq Ch6 Freq Ch7 CFListTyp
e

The actual channel frequency in Hz is (200 x Frequency), whereby values representing frequencies below 200 MHz are reserved for future use. This
allows setting the frequency of a channel anywhere between 200 MHz to 3.35 GHz in 200Hz steps. Unused channels have a frequency value of 0. The
CFList is optional and its presence can be detected by the length of the JoinAccept message. If present, the CFList shall replace all the previous channels
stored in the end device, apart from the three default channels. The newly-defined channels are immediately enabled and usable by the end device for
communication.

2.5. Frequency Encoding in MAC Commands

The MAC commands NewChannelReq, RxParamSetupReq, BeaconFreqReq and PingSlotChannelReq all contain a three-byte field (Freq) encoding a
frequency.

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For the ISM2400 region, the following encoding must be used:

The frequency (Freq) field is a 24-bit unsigned integer. The actual channel frequency in Hz is (200 x Freq), whereby values representing frequencies
below 200 MHz are reserved for future use. This allows setting the frequency of a channel anywhere between 200 MHz to 3.35 GHz in 200Hz steps.

The ISM2400 regional parameters only support a maximum of 16 channels. When the ChMaskCntl field is 0, the ChMask field individually
enables/disables each of the 16 channels. The table below provides the ChMaskCntl values.

Table 7. Channel Mask Control Encoding

ChMaskCntl ChMask applies to

0 Channels 0 to 15

1 RFU

.. ..

4 RFU

5 RFU

6 All channels ON

The device SHALL enable all currently defined

channels independently of the ChMask field
value.
7 RFU

If the ChMaskCntl field value is one of the values meaning RFU, the end device SHALL reject the command and unset the Channel mask ACK bit in its
response.

2.6. ISM2400 Maximum Payload Size

The maximum MACPayload size length (M) is indicated in the following table. It is derived from a limitation of the PHY layer and depends on the
effective modulation rate used, taking into account a possible repeater encapsulation layer. The maximum application payload length in the absence of
the optional FOpt control field (N) is also given (for information purposes only). The value of N MAY be smaller if the FOpt field is not empty:

Table 8. Payload Size Limits

Data Rate M N

0 59 51

1 123 115

2 228 220

3 228 220

4 228 220

5 228 220

6 228 220

7 228 220

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Data Rate M N

8:15 Not defined

If the end device will never operate with a repeater, then the maximum application payload length in the absence of the optional FOpt control field
should be as indicated:

Table 9. Payload limits without repeaters

Data Rate M N

0 59 51

1 123 115

2 228 220

3 228 220

4 228 220

5 228 220

6 228 220

7 228 220

8:15 Not defined

2.7. ISM2400 Receive Windows

The RX1 receive window uses the same channel as the preceding uplink. The data rate is a function of the uplink data rate and the RX1DROffset, as
given in the following table. The allowed values for RX1DROffset are in the [0:5] range. Values in the [6:7] range are reserved for future use. The table
below shows the ISM2400 downlink RX1 data rate mapping.

Table 10. RX1 Data Rate Offset

RX1DROffset 0 1 2 3 4 5

Upstream data rate Downstream data rate in RX1 slot

DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0

DR1 DR1 DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0

DR2 DR2 DR1 DR0 DR0 DR0 DR0

DR3 DR3 DR2 DR1 DR0 DR0 DR0

DR4 DR4 DR3 DR2 DR1 DR0 DR0

DR5 DR5 DR4 DR3 DR2 DR1 DR0

DR6 DR6 DR5 DR4 DR3 DR2 DR1

DR7 DR7 DR6 DR5 DR4 DR3 DR2

The RX2 receive window uses a fixed frequency and data rate. The default parameters are 2423 MHz / DR0 (SF12, 812kHz).

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2.8. ISM2400 Class B Beacon and Default Downlink Channel

The beacons SHALL be transmitted using the following settings

Table 11. Beacon Physical Layer Settings

DR 0 Corresponds to SF12 spreading factor with 812 kHz BW

CR 1 Coding rate = 4/5

Signal polarity Non-inverted As opposed to normal downlink traffic, which uses inverted
signal polarity

The beacon frame content is:

Table 12. Beacon Frame Encoding

Size (bytes) 5 4 2 7 3 2

BCNPayload RFU Time CRC Gateway-specific RFU CRC

The beacon default broadcast frequency is 2424 MHz.

The Class B default downlink pingSlot frequency is 2424 MHz.

2.9. ISM2400 Default Settings

The following parameters are recommended values for the ISM2400 band.

Table 13. Recommended Default Settings

RECEIVE_DELAY1 1s

RECEIVE_DELAY2 2 s (MUST be RECEIVE_DELAY1 + 1s)

JOIN_ACCEPT_DELAY1 5s

JOIN_ACCEPT_DELAY2 6s

MAX_FCNT_GAP 16384

ADR_ACK_LIMIT 64

ADR_ACK_DELAY 32

ACK_TIMEOUT 2 +/- 1 s (random delay between 1 and 3 seconds)

If the actual parameter values implemented in the end device are different from these default values (for example the end device uses a longer
RECEIVE_DELAY1 and RECEIVE_DELAY2 latency), those parameters MUST be communicated to the network server using an out-of-band channel during
the end device commissioning process. The network server may not accept parameters different from those default values.

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Disclaimer
Information relating to this product and the application or design described herein is believed to be reliable, however such
information is provided as a guide only and Semtech assumes no liability for any errors in this document, or for the application
or design described herein.

Semtech reserves the right to make changes to the product or this document at any time without notice. Buyers should obtain
the latest relevant information before placing orders and should verify that such information is current and complete.
Semtech warrants performance of its products to the specifications applicable at the time of sale, and all sales are made in
accordance with Semtech’s standard terms and conditions of sale.

SEMTECH PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED, INTENDED, AUTHORIZED OR WARRANTED TO BE SUITABLE FOR USE IN LIFE-
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REASONABLY EXPECTED TO RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY, LOSS OF LIFE OR SEVERE PROPERTY OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.
IMPORTANT
INCLUSION OF SEMTECH PRODUCTS IN SUCH APPLICATIONS IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE UNDERTAKEN SOLELY AT THE
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customer shall indemnify and hold Semtech and its officers, employees, subsidiaries, affiliates, and distributors harmless
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The Semtech name and logo are registered trademarks of the Semtech Corporation. All other trademarks and trade names
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to, or discontinue any products described in this document without further notice. Semtech makes no warranty,
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