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Configuration

This page outlines all common configuration parameters of the firmware. Default settings are preconfigured to ensure a seamless initial operation experience.

Customer specific configuration

For larger orders, Lobaro can apply customer-specific configurations to all parameters prior to delivery.

Firmware Configuration Parameter

Product specific parameters possible

The configuration parameters described here are common to all products running this firmware. However, some products may include additional parameters or modify the parameters listed here, such as allowing additional values to be set. In all cases, the specific product's documentation takes precedence over this general description and should be reviewed carefully.

General Parameters

DescriptionKeyTypePossible ValuesDefault
Uplink channel selectionWANStringlte or lorawanlte
Days without connectivity until device resetLostRebootNumberAny, e.g., 35

WAN Parameter

LPWAN technology is used for connection and data communication with the backend server. This can be either cellular LTE (NB-IoT, LTE-M) or LoRaWAN.

  • lte: Utilizes cellular technologies, either NB-IoT or LTE-M.
  • lorawan: Employs LoRaWAN with OTAA (Over-The-Air Activation).
Limitations in LoRaWAN
  • LoRaWAN uplinks and downlinks are limited to 52–222 bytes, depending on the DataRate (connection quality):
    • Uplinks containing longer wMBUS telegrams are split across multiple LoRaWAN messages.
    • Uplinks with numerous wMBUS telegrams may take significant time due to LoRaWAN's duty-cycle limitations.
    • Downlinks with large configuration values (e.g., long whitelists) must be split into multiple messages, which can be challenging to implement.
  • Limited metadata:
    • Status telegrams include less information due to reduced uplink channel capacity.
  • No remote firmware update capabilities.

Wireless M-Bus Meter Reading

DescriptionKeyTypePossible ValuesDefault
WMBUS Listen Cron [UTC+0]listenCron StringAny CRON String0 0 12 * * *
WMBUS C1/T1 Listen Duration [s]cmodeDurSec NumberNumber of seconds
0 = Do not collect C1/T1
Max Value=36000
300
WMBUS S1 Listen Duration [s]smodeDurSec NumberNumber of seconds
0 = Do not collect S1
Max Value=36000
0
Sensus RF Listen Duration [s]xmodeDurSec NumberNumber of seconds
0 = Do not collect X-Mode
Max Value=36000
0
Müller-Funk Listen Duration [s]umodeDurSec NumberNumber of seconds
0 = Do not collect U-Mode
Max Value=36000
0
WMBUS ID Filter ListdevFilterStringList, e.g.
88009035,13456035
[not set]
WMBUS Type Filter ListtypFilter StringList, e.g.
08,07
[not set]
WMBUS M-Field Filter ListmFilter StringList, e.g.
DME,ITW,SEN,QDS
[not set]
WMBUS CI-Field Filter ListciFilterStringList, e.g.
8a,72
[not set]
WMBUS Telegram Upload LimitmaxTelegramsNumberAny number of max. Telegrams
0 = no limit.
0

listenCron Parameter

The listen cron specifies when the device wakes up to receive data via enabled wireless M-Bus and other radio protocols. Each listening period is followed by data upload using the configured WAN technology. The ideal interval largely depends on the device's power supply (battery-powered vs. externally powered) and the application's need for new metering data. Typical intervals range from every 15 minutes to 14 days between consecutive readouts.

CRON parameter

*modeDurSec Parameters

Parameters: cmodeDurSec smodeDurSec xmodeDurSec umodeDurSec

The duration, specified in seconds (e.g., 300 for 5 minutes), defines how long the device collects metering data for each corresponding wireless protocol. Each listening period is executed sequentially based on the configured durations. Once all listening periods are complete, the collected meter telegrams are transmitted using the configured WAN technology.


*Filter Parameters

Parameters: devFilter ciFilter mFilter typFilter

Filters are applied to meters based on wireless M-Bus-related fields to determine which telegrams are collected and uploaded. These filters include:

  • mFilter: Manufacturer filter – filters telegrams by the 3-letter manufacturer code included in every telegram ( e.g., LOB for Lobaro GmbH).
  • typFilter: Device Type filter – filters telegrams by the 2-hex-digit code that defines the type of sending device (e.g., 07 for water meters).
  • devFilter: Device filter – filters telegrams by the 8-digit ID that is mandatory for each sending device (e.g., 87654321).
  • ciFilter: CI-Field filter – filters telegrams by the 2-hex-digit CI-Field included in every telegram. This field is a technical code that describes the purpose of the telegram (e.g., 8a).

These filters help refine data collection to target specific devices or device types.

More Details

For a detailed explanation, read more about telegram filter parameterization.

Blacklist

Each filter parameter can be preceded with an exclamation mark (!) to convert the whitelist into a blacklist.

This applies to the entire filter parameter, not to individual entries within the list. For example:

  • mFilter=LOB will collect only telegrams from Lobaro GmbH (whitelist).
  • mFilter=!LOB will exclude telegrams from Lobaro GmbH (blacklist).

maxTelegrams Parameter

Set a hard limit on the number of telegrams to be collected and uploaded. The firmware will stop collecting once this limit is reached, regardless of the elapsed time. This can help conserve battery life and data volume, especially if the device is located in an area with a high density of meters.

tip

When filtering for a single telegram, the parameter can be set to 1, causing the device to stop listening immediately after the desired telegram is received.

LTE Connection

DescriptionKeyTypePossible ValuesDefault
LTE Lobaro Platform HostHostIP / URLList of various Endpointscoaps://platform.lobaro.com
LTE MCC+MNC CodeOperatorNumbere.g. 26201 (Dt. Telekom)[not set]
LTE BandBandNumber3 or 8,20 or 3,8,203,8,20
LTE APNAPNStringany APN*
LTE SIM PinPINNumber4 digits pin, e.g. 1234[not set]
LTE NB-IoT on/offUseNbiotBooltrue or falsetrue
LTE M1 on/offUseLtemBooltrue or falsetrue
LTE DNS Servers usedDNSIPList of DNS server IPs9.9.9.9,1.1.1.1
Plain UDP HostUdpHostIPany, e.g 94.130.20.37[not set]
Plain UDP PortUdpPortNumberany, e.g 3333[not set]

Host Parameter

Hostname or IP of the Lobaro Platform instance CoAP endpoint to which the gateway communicates using UDP.

  • Using DTLS: coaps://platform.lobaro.com
  • No DTLS: coap://platform.lobaro.com
  • Plain IP: 94.130.20.37 (platform.lobaro.com)
Host with fallback

It's also possible to configure a list of URLs to implement a fallback mechanism. This is particulary helpful for combining DTLS and non DTLS connection attempts: coaps://platform.lobaro.com,coap://platform.lobaro.com


LTE Parameters

Parameters: APN Operator Band, PIN

Basic parameters are required to configure the NB-IoT or LTE-M connection. These settings must align with the SIM card and network provider used. Typically, the default parameters work well, as they enable the modem to automatically select and join the network using SIM card information. However, if the APN (Access Point Name) is known, it is recommended to configure it for optimal performance.

More Details

Read more about LTE network configuration parameters.


UseNbiot UseLtem

The modem supports both NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies. By default, both are enabled, allowing the cellular modem to automatically select the most suitable network type based on the location. However, you can force the modem to use a specific technology by setting one parameter to false, ensuring the other remains enabled (set to true). At least one technology must always be active.


UdpHost UdpPort

Deprecated

This feature is deprecated and not recommended for production use. Lobaro provides limited support for errors caused by using raw UDP upload.

Instead of sending metering data to the Lobaro IoT Platform, the data can alternatively be sent to an external UDP socket. This option is useful if you prefer to keep metering data off external servers while still using the Lobaro Platform to control your gateways.

  • UdpHost: IP address to upload plain telegrams via UDP.
    • [not set]: Defaults to uploading data to the Lobaro IoT Platform using the configured Host parameter.
  • UdpPort: Port number to upload plain telegrams via UDP.
    • Only used if UdpHost is set.
info

Even when metering data is sent to an external server, the firmware typically still requires a connection to a Lobaro Platform instance to send status information, perform remote configurations, or handle firmware updates.

For solutions that allow all communication without the Lobaro Platform, such as direct MQTT to an external broker, contact Lobaro for potential options.

LoRaWAN Connection

DescriptionKeyTypePossible ValuesDefault
LoRaWAN DevEUIDevEUIbyte[8]anyDevice EUI64
LoRaWAN AppEUI / JoinEUI (1.1)JoinEUIbyte[8]anyrandom
LoRaWAN AppKeyAppKeybyte[16]anyrandom
LoRaWAN NwkKey (1.1)NwkKeybyte[16]any00000000000000000000000000000000
LoRaWAN Days between TimesyncTimeSyncNumberany3
LoRaWAN Payload FormatPayloadFormatNumber0, 1, 20
LoRaWAN use OTAAOTAABooltrue or falsetrue
LoRaWAN Random TX Delay [s]RndDelayNumberany10
LoRaWAN 1.1

LoRaWAN 1.1 is experimental and not certified. For production environments, we recommend using LoRaWAN 1.0.2.

NwkKey Parameter

The Network Key (NwkKey) is used for LoRaWAN 1.1. If set to zeros (00000000000000000000000000000000) or to the same value as the AppKey, the device will stick to LoRaWAN 1.0.2 which is the recommended mode of operation.

PayloadFormat Parameter

Used encoding of the LoRaWAN uplink payload packets.

  • 0 = Encoding in ports with static message length
  • 1 = prefix bytes and time
  • 2 = prefix bytes, time, and rssi
More Details

For a detailed specification of the payload formats, please refer to the LoRaWAN Communication page.

Special

DescriptionKeyTypePossible ValuesDefault
Verbose UART LogverboseBooltrue or falsefalse
Addon RAM configurationextRamStringLobaro Internal[not set]