Pete Bartolik, freelance writer, discusses how a partnership between Digi and SparkFun collaborated to accelerate LoRaWAN deployment and development
Building distributed, battery-powered sensor applications that rely on transmitting small amounts of data over long distances depends on ultra-low power components, reliability in uncontrolled environments, and a relatively simple and scalable architecture. That makes LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) a leading choice for applications like smart buildings, campus environments, retail, and industrial monitoring.
LoRaWAN applications boast range measured in miles, years-long battery life, and cost-efficiency. Without the need for cell service, Wi-Fi, or mesh routing, LoRaWAN communications can cover farms or factories from a single gateway.
Formalised as an open MAC layer and network architecture in 2015 under the auspices of the LoRa Alliance, LoRaWAN is an open low-power wireless network protocol and architecture that can outperform alternatives like cellular IoT, Wi-Fi, BLE, Zigbee, Thread, and proprietary sub-GHz radios in terms of scalability, simplicity, and interoperability.
An alliance between Digi and SparkFun promises to accelerate a path from concept to deployment. The alliance integrates Digi’s X-ON Edge-to-Cloud IoT platform and SparkFun hardware, along with Raspberry Pi microcontrollers.
Specifically, designers can take advantage of the SparkFun 26060 IoT Node development board (Figure 1), which incorporates a built-in Digi XBee LR wireless transceiver module and the powerful Raspberry Pi 2350A.
The module automatically connects to the Digi X‑ON cloud IoT platform via a Digi HX15 Gateway for LoRaWAN (Figure 2). The gateway is available separately or as part of SparkFun’s 27213 Digi X-ON kit (North America edition).
The SparkFun Qwiic Connect ecosystem simplifies hardware expansion with a growing library of over 100 plug-and-play sensors, actuators, and displays—all connected via a common I²C interface and standardised 4-pin JST connector. SparkFun’s IoT Node includes prebuilt firmware that auto-detects connected SparkFun Qwiic sensors and starts broadcasting data over LoRaWAN using the Digi XBee LR module, which connects with the HX15 gateway to push the data via Ethernet or optional LTE to the Digi X-ON cloud platform. Digi X-ON provides encrypted transmission from gateway to Cloud, secure user access controls, and device-level metadata.
For designers, no gateway setup or LoRaWAN registration is required. They can take advantage of zero-configuration sensor onboarding, and cloud-ready data flows from node to Cloud without the need for user provisioning, coding, or MQTT broker setup. This enables fast prototyping, proofs of concept, or deployments with little (if any) need for LoRa or Cloud expertise.
Designers can fine-tune sampling rates, add support for additional Qwiic sensors, or adjust payload formatting without starting from scratch. The Digi X-ON platform provides a centralised view of every deployed node, tracking uptime, battery level, signal quality, and connection history, all of which are critical metrics for troubleshooting and refining distributed sensor networks.
Workflow flexibility
The RP2350 provides product designers with unique workflow flexibility, enabling the development of applications for Arduino, MicroPython, and C/C++ using the Pico SDK. With support for all three environments, the SparkFun IoT Node gives designers choice and flexibility, enabling workflows that match their expertise—from drag-and-drop scripting in Python to optimised C code using hardware acceleration.
Designers can rapidly prototype applications in MicroPython, testing Qwiic-compatible sensors or adjusting sampling intervals in real-time environments. As projects progress, they can seamlessly transition to Arduino or full C++ to optimise power consumption, memory usage, or I/O performance. SparkFun offers pre-built MicroPython images specifically tailored for the SparkFun IoT module.
As soon as an IoT device starts sending data, X-ON provides a dashboard to monitor sensor readings, check device health, and even push firmware updates remotely. Product designers can keep improving their designs without ever needing to physically access the devices.
This collaboration provides an ideal solution for testing applications in the field or scaling up a pilot project for distributed, battery-powered sensor systems. The ruggedised design of the HX15 gateway, secure Cloud architecture of Digi X-ON, and auto-provisioning firmware stack all reduce the friction of moving from lab to field. Designers can pilot applications in live conditions with real sensor data and then scale by simply replicating node and gateway setups without redoing firmware or cloud integration.
The combination of SparkFun’s RP2350-based IoT module, Digi’s X-ON platform, and Raspberry Pi’s flexible microcontroller ecosystem offers a uniquely streamlined path from prototype to deployment. Whether testing a new sensor, validating LoRaWAN range, or optimising power usage, this combination supports experimentation and the rigor of a production-ready design.
With open hardware and standardised connectivity, designers can count on adaptability and longevity as their IoT projects grow and evolve. Applications built on this platform are more portable and flexible as project requirements evolve.
Conclusion
SparkFun’s IoT module and Qwiic Connect ecosystem, Digi X-ON’s secure Cloud platform, and Raspberry Pi’s development versatility ensure a robust, low-friction pathway from concept to deployment for distributed sensor applications. By minimising configuration hurdles, streamlining onboarding, and providing centralised device management, this solution empowers designers to innovate rapidly, iterate efficiently, and scale confidently—whether for prototyping or large-scale field deployments.
Pete Bartolik is a freelance writer who has researched and written about IT and OT issues and products for more than two decades. He previously was news editor of the IT management publication Computerworld, editor-in-chief of a monthly end-user computer magazine, and a reporter with a daily newspaper.
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