A scalable operational edge platform for LoRaWAN and distributed infrastructure
In one sentence: E2C Field combines a LoRaWAN network server, mixed-sensor onboarding, wired industrial protocols, edge processing, alarms and northbound integration in one operational edge platform, enabling customers to deploy and operate assets consistently across many distributed sites. |
1. Problems it solves
Distributed-operations challenge | E2C Field response | Customer value |
Assets are dispersed and site visits are expensive. | Local diagnostics, alarms, visualisation and remote management. | Reduce truck rolls and shorten fault response. |
LoRaWAN sensors, RTUs and meters live in separate systems. | Unify wireless data with Modbus, OPC UA, BACnet and DI/DO. | One site, data model and integration path. |
Each sensor type requires individual engineering. | Use built-in codecs to onboard supported mixed sensors in batches. | Faster commissioning with fewer mapping errors. |
Cellular or WAN connectivity is unreliable. | Local logic, buffering, alarms and store-and-forward. | Maintain essential site capability during outages. |
The first site works, but the design cannot scale. | Standard configuration, templates and RCMS lifecycle operations. | Scale without rebuilding the architecture. |
2. Best-fit scenarios
- Water, energy and utilities: pump stations, tanks, substations, metering and remote telemetry.
- Environmental monitoring, agriculture and outdoor infrastructure where wiring is impractical.
- Campuses, buildings and multi-site facilities adding sensing and metering without major cabling.
- Transport, EV charging and distributed energy integrating wired assets, sensors and cloud or EMS.
- System integrators and service operators building repeatable, remotely maintained multi-site solutions.
3. Core capabilities
Capability | Description | Value |
Embedded LNS | A ChirpStack-based LoRaWAN Network Server integrated into the E2C Field. | Reduce tool switching and manage gateways, devices and traffic together. |
Rapid mixed-sensor onboarding | Use built-in codecs to onboard multiple supported LoRaWAN device types and normalise payloads. | Accelerate large deployments and reduce mapping errors. |
Wired and wireless integration | LoRaWAN with Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, BACnet IP/MS/TP and DI/DO. | Put sensors, RTUs, meters and building devices on one data path. |
Edge operations | Node-RED, scenarios, alarms, buffering, forwarding and local visualisation. Alarm notification channels including Email, SMS, Telegram, WhatsApp and WeCom. | Local processing, independent of external devices and networks. |
System integration | MQTT/TLS, HTTPS/REST, Sparkplug B, Modbus TCP Slave, BACnet/IP Server and OPC UA Server. | Connect SCADA, BMS, GIS, EAM/CMMS, digital twins and cloud. |
Remote lifecycle | Diagnostics, management and codec maintenance through RCMS. | Reduce site visits and maintain consistency at scale. |
4. Hardware and software editions
E2C Field positions as purpose-built for the LG3120e Industrial LoRaWAN Gateway and recommends at least 2 GB RAM. Verify model, firmware and memory against the latest APP Download and Version Comparison before deployment.
Edition | Best for | Edition Feature |
Free | PoC and small international sites | Up to 100 tags, full protocols and no SCADA. |
Core | Small and medium commercial deployments | Up to 2,000 tags, full protocols and no SCADA. |
Pro | Large or critical distributed infrastructure | Up to 5,000 tags, full protocols and SCADA; Needs 8 GB RAM for 5,000 tags. |
Edition note: SCADA is supported only in E2C Field Pro. It is not included in the Free or Core editions. |
5. Recommended reading order
Order | Document | Purpose | Reference Articles |
1 | E2C Field Overview | Confirm that the project is a distributed-infrastructure or LoRaWAN operations problem. | This overview article |
2 | E2C Field Version Comparison | Confirm edition, tag capacity, SCADA and memory. | |
3 | E2C Field APP Download / Release Notes | Verify LG3120e, Node-red and application versions. | |
4 | E2C Field Software Manual | Learn LNS, devices, tags, scenarios, alarms, forwarding and settings. | |
5 | LoRaWAN codec conversion/import How-to | Integrate devices not covered by built-in codecs. | How to Convert LoRaWAN Sensor Codec Formats and Import to E2C Field |
6 | Southbound User Guides | LoRaWAN for example | E2C Trinity LoRa Device to BACnet_IP Data Forwarding User Guide |
7 | Northbound User Guides | MQTT for example | |
8 | SCADA Manual | Design local visualisation, permissions, history and alarms. |
6. First-PoC acceptance criteria
- Read tags from one or two representative LoRaWAN sensor types plus one wired Modbus asset.
- Tag values are visible and updating correctly in E2C Field.
- One threshold-based alarm is triggered when the test value exceeds the limit.
- Tag data is published to an MQTT broker.
- The MQTT broker receives the expected tag values.
7. Design considerations
- Confirm the LoRaWAN frequency band, sensor access method and codec support.
- Plan sensor distribution, distance, antenna placement and site coverage.
- Decide whether operators need a local dashboard for live values, trends, alarms or site status.
- Identify the target system, such as BMS, SCADA, EMS or cloud platform. Select the integration protocol, such as BACnet/IP, MQTT or HTTP.
8. Built-in protocol list
E2C Field built-in protocol list
E2C Field combines LoRaWAN, industrial protocols and building protocols on one platform, then connects cloud and operational systems through standard northbound interfaces.
Type | Category | Protocols |
Southbound | General Protocols | LoRaWAN, Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, OPC UA, DI/DO, BACnet IP, BACnet MS/TP |
Northbound | Data to Cloud | MQTT (TLS encryption, compatible with AWS IoT, Azure IoT and mainstream IoT platforms), HTTPS/RESTful, Sparkplug B |
Data Forwarding | Modbus TCP Slave, BACnet/IP Server, OPC UA Server |
9. Integrated sensors list
E2C Field integrates dozens of LoRaWAN sensor models and the list keeps growing. See the full E2C Field Supported Sensor List.
10. Function list
Module | Functions | Description |
LNS Configuration | Service Information, Device Profile, Payload Codecs, Live Frames | Built-in ChirpStack LNS. Pre-integrated Device Profiles and Codecs for major LoRa sensors, enabling zero-code integration. Real-time dual-stream display of raw payloads and parsed data for intuitive troubleshooting. |
Z-Touch Onboarding | Zero-Touch Sensor Onboarding | Automatically onboard multiple supported LoRaWAN sensor types simultaneousl using its built-in codec library. One click to validate formats, register devices, batch-create tags, and publish to LNS, enabling fast onboarding at scale across profiles. |
Data Collection | Device Management, Tag Management, Import/Export | Support mainstream field protocols (LoRaWAN, Modbus, OPC UA, BACnet). Real/Virtual tags for non-physical point control, batch import/export, and preview-publish workflow for safe production deployment. |
Scenario Management | Scenario Management, Action Management, History Log | Supports scheduled, cycle, power-on, data linkage, alarm, and cloud command triggers with execution logging. |
Data to Cloud | MQTT, HTTP, Sparkplug B, Breakpoint Resume | Multi-protocol cloud connectivity (MQTT, HTTP, Sparkplug B) with AWS IoT, Azure IoT, and custom platforms.Auto-cache with FIFO/LIFO strategies for network resilience. |
Data Forwarding | OPC UA Server, Modbus TCP Slave, BACnet IP Server | Multi-protocol data forwarding via OPC UA, Modbus TCP, and BACnet IP with security modes, certificates, access control, read/write mappings, BBMD, and BDT support. |
Alarm Management | Alarm Rules, Alarm Notification | Comprehensive alarm lifecycle management with configurable rules, severity levels, tags, and multi-channel notifications (SMS, email, WeCom, WhatsApp, Telegram). |
SCADA Management | Runtime Edition, Development Edition, Template Management | SCADA development environment with rich component libraries, animation effects, and multi-page monitoring. Runtime edition for production monitoring and control with access permissions. Template-based reuse for rapid multi-gateway deployment. |
Logic Orchestration | Node-RED-based Logic Orchestration | Four dedicated Node-RED nodes for data subscription, device updates, and DO control with visual flow-based edge logic processing and virtual tag integration for cloud reporting. |
Debug Logs | Real-time Logs | Real-time monitoring of data collection status, performance, and custom function execution with log download and cache clearing for diagnostics. |
System Settings | System Level Settings | Serial Port Settings, Storage, Custom Params, Certificate Management, License Activation, Service Status, Export, Import, RDMS Collaboration, User Management, Role Management, System Logs |