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You are reading outdated documentation. This page documents ChirpStack v3. ChirpStack v4 is the latest version.

Device-classes

Class-A

ChirpStack Network Server supports LoRaWAN® Class-A devices. In Class-A a device is always in sleep mode, unless it has something to transmit. Only after an uplink transmission by the device, ChirpStack Network Server is able to schedule a downlink transmission.

Received frames are de-duplicated (in case it has been received by multiple gateways), after which the mac-layer is handled by ChirpStack Network Server and the encrypted application-payload is forwarded to the Application Server.

ChirpStack Network Server persists a downlink device-queue for to which the application-server can enqueue downlink payloads. Once a receive window occurs, ChirpStack Network Server will transmit the first downlink payload to the device.

Confirmed data

ChirpStack Network Server sends an acknowledgement to the application-server as soon one is received from the device. When the next uplink transmission does not contain an acknowledgement, a nACK is sent to the application-server.

Note: After a device (re)activation the device-queue is flushed.

Class-B

ChirpStack Network Server supports Class-B devices. A Class-B device synchronizes its internal clock using Class-B beacons emitted by the gateway, this process is also called a "beacon lock". Once in the state of a beacon lock, the device negotiates its ping-interval. ChirpStack Network Server is then able to schedule downlink transmissions on each occurring ping-interval.

ChirpStack Network Server persists all downlink payloads in its device-queue. When the device has acquired a beacon lock, it will schedule the payload for the next free ping-slot in the queue. When adding payloads to the queue when a beacon lock has not yet been acquired, ChirpStack Network Server will update all device-queue to be scheduled on the next free ping-slot once the device has acquired the beacon lock.

Confirmed data

ChirpStack Network Server sends an acknowledgement to the application-server as soon one is received from the device. Until the frame has timed out, ChirpStack Network Server will wait with the transmission of the next downlink Class-B payload.

Note: The timeout of a confirmed Class-B downlink can be configured through the device-profile. This should be set to a value less than the interval between two ping-slots.

Requirements

Device

The device must be able to operate in Class-B mode. This feature has been tested against the develop branch of the Semtech LoRaMac-node source.

Gateway

The gateway must have a GNSS based time-source and must use at least the Semtech UDP Packet Forwarder version 4.0.1 or higher.

Class-C

ChirpStack Network Server supports Class-C devices and uses the same Class-A downlink device-queue for Class-C downlink transmissions. The application-server can enqueue one or multiple downlink payloads and ChirpStack Network Server will transmit these (semi) immediately to the device, making sure no overlap exists in case of multiple Class-C transmissions.

Confirmed data

ChirpStack Network Server sends an acknowledgement to the application-server as soon one is received from the device. Until the frame has timed out, ChirpStack Network Server will wait with the transmission of the next downlink Class-C payload.

Note: The timeout of a confirmed Class-C downlink can be configured through the device-profile.