Ingaba i-2G ne-3G Ziyacinywa eMzantsi Afrika? Into Ekuthetha Oko kwi-IoT Yasezikolweni
UMzantsi Afrika uyaphelisa uthungelwano lwe-2G kunye ne-3G endala ukuze kukhululwe i-spectrum ye-4G kunye ne-5G. Nasi isizathu sokuba ii-modules ze-GSM ezixabisa i-R100 ziza kuyeka ukusebenza kungekudala, nokuba yeyiphi i-hardware ekufuneka ithengwe endaweni yazo.
Ewe. UMzantsi Afrika usematshini ekupheliseni uthungelwano oludala lwe-2G kunye ne-3G. Nangona iSebe lezoNxibelelwano noBuchwepheshe beDijithali (DCDT) kunye ne-ICASA bezihlaziyile iintsuku zokugqibela zokuvala, indlela ehanjwa ngayo ayinakuguqulwa: ababoneleli bothungelwano lweselula (Vodacom, MTN, Telkom) baphinda babelana ngokutsha nge-radio spectrum endala ye-900 MHz kunye ne-2100 MHz ukwandisa amandla e-4G kunye ne-5G.
Kwiilabhoratri zekhompyutha zasezikolweni, kumasebe ezobunjineli aseeyunivesithi, nakwii-makers, oku kuza nesiphumo esibonakalayo ngoko nangoko: ukuthenga iibhodi ezingabizi ze-2G GSM breakout namhlanje kukulahla uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali. Iiprojekthi ezakhelwe kwi-hardware ye-2G ziza kuphulukana nokuthembeka njengoko abathwali beenqaba zothungelwano becima amajelo e-carrier, kwaye ekugqibeleni ziya kuyeka ngokupheleleyo ukusebenza.
Umgibe we-Hardware Engabizi: Kutheni Iibhodi ze-SIM800L Zikuyo Yonke Indawo
Kule minyaka ilishumi idlulileyo, imodyuli ebisoloko isetyenziswa kwii-IoT zeselula kumagumbi okufundela aseMzantsi Afrika ibiyi-SIMCom SIM800L. Ixabisa phakathi kwe-R80 ne-R150, isebenza kunye nee-microcontroller eziqhelekileyo ze-Arduino nge-UART, kwaye ivumela abafundi ukuba bathumele isilumkiso se-SMS okanye isicelo se-HTTP POST ngemigca emine nje yemiyalelo ye-AT.
Ababoneleli beekhithi zemfundo basazidibanisa ezi modyuli ngenxa yokuba zinexabiso eliphantsi lokuzikhupha kwisitokhwe seendawo zokugcina iimpahla. Nangona kunjalo, ezi bhodi zisebenza nge-2G kuphela (GSM/GPRS). ITelkom sele ilucimile ngokupheleleyo uthungelwano lwayo lwe-2G. IVodacom neMTN zigcina amajelo amancinci e-2G ikakhulu ukuxhasa oomatshini bokuhlawula (iipoyinti zokuthengisa) kunye neemitha zamanzi nombane ezindala, kodwa izikhululo eziphantsi koxinzelelo okanye eziphuculwayo zicima ngokuthe ngcembe amaxesha e-2G.
Xa umfundi evavanya isikhululo semozulu se-SIM800L kwigumbi lokufundela lasezidolophini namhlanje, sisenokunxibelelana okwexeshana okanye silahlekelwe luthungelwano ngaphandle kwengcaciso. Ngonyaka ozayo, ukufumana umqondiso (signal) kwezo bhodi kuya kuba ngumsebenzi odinisayo nochitha ixesha.
Yintoni Onokuyakha Endaweni Yazo
Phambi kokutshintsha imodyuli enye yeselula ngenye, zibuze ukuba kutheni abafundi bakho besebenzisa iselula kwasekuqaleni. Kwizikolo zaseMzantsi Afrika, iselula idla ngokuba sisisombululo sokudlula kwiziseko zophuhliso ezingasebenziyo okanye ezithintelweyo esikolweni:
- WPA2-Enterprise Wi-Fi: Uninzi lwee-microcontroller ezisisiseko (njenge-ESP8266 eqhelekileyo okanye ii-Wi-Fi shields ezisisiseko ze-Arduino) azikwazi kungena kuthungelwano lwesikolo kusetyenziswa iiprotokholi ze-RADIUS zegama lomsebenzisi/iphasiwedi zenkampani.
- Ii-Firewall Ezirhabaxa: Uthungelwano lwamasebe okanye lwezithili luvame ukuvala ii-port ze-MQTT (1883/8883) okanye ii-TCP sockets ezilula.
- Ukufakwa Kwezinto Kude (Remote Deployments): Iiprojekthi ze-IoT yezolimo (ukujonga iibholoholo, ukungenisa umoya kwitonela, ukufuma komhlaba) zihlala kude kakhulu noluhlu lwe-router yesikolo.
Kuxhomekeke ekubeni yeyiphi ingxaki oyisombululayo, zintathu iindlela ezisebenzayo ezinokulandelwa.
| Iteknoloji | Ukusetyenziswa Okona Kulungileyo | Okulungileyo | Okubi |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32 (Wi-Fi / BLE) | Iiprojekthi zaseGumbini naseLabhoratri | Ayibizi kakhulu (ngaphantsi kwe-R150), ixhasa i-WPA2-Enterprise, inkxaso enkulu yoluntu lwabasebenzisi | Iboshwe kuthungelwano lwasekhaya kuphela; ayinakusebenzaapho kungekho thungelwano |
| LoRaWAN | Ukujonga iKhampasi neeFama | Akukho mirhumo eqhubekayo yamakhadi e-SIM, umgama omde (2–10 km), amandla aphantsi kakhulu ombane | Ifuna i-gateway ekhampasini okanye uthungelwano lwasekuhlaleni (The Things Network) |
| LTE-M / NB-IoT / Cat-1 | I-IoT Ezimeleyo nekude | Uthungelwano lweselula lwelizwe lonke lokwenyani, ilungele ikamva, iiprotokholi ezonga amandla ombane | Ixabiso lemodyuli liphezulu (R350–R800), ifuna ulawulo lwe-SIM esebenzayo |
Iselula Yanamhlanje: NB-IoT, LTE-M, kunye ne-LTE Cat-1
Ukuba ikharityhulam yakho ifuna ngokuthe ngqo unxibelelwano lweselula—njengokulandelela ibhaluni esesibhakabhakeni (high-altitude balloon), ukujonga iitanki zokugcina amanzi kumabala emidlalo angekho esikolweni, okanye ukufundisa i-telematics—kufuneka uchaze i-hardware yanamhlanje ye-LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) okanye eye-LTE.
1. I-NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT) kunye ne-LTE-M (Cat-M1)
Ezi migaqo zisebenza ngaphakathi kwiifrikhwensi ezikhoyo ze-4G. Zithumela iipakethe ezincinci zedatha zisebenzisa amandla aphantsi kakhulu ombane, nto leyo evumela izivamvo (sensors) ezisebenza ngeebhetri ezisendle zisebenze iinyanga ezininzi. IVodacom kunye neMTN zombini zinothungelwano olusebenzayo lwe-NB-IoT kwiidolophu ezinkulu nakwiindawo zezolimo.
Khangela ii-microcontroller okanye iimodem ezisekwe kwii-chipset ezinjenge-SIM7080G, SIM7000G, okanye i-Nordic nRF9160. Ezi bhodi zinee-band ezininzi zixhasa zombini i-Cat-M1 kunye ne-NB-IoT kwihlabathi liphela, ziqinisekisa ukuba izixhobo zakho zaselebhu zihlala zisebenziseka kule minyaka ilishumi izayo.
2. I-LTE Cat-1 / Cat-1 bis
Ukuba iprojekthi yakho ifuna ukudlulisa idatha eninzi ngokukhawuleza—njengokuthumela imifanekiso yekhamera ngamaxesha athile okanye idatha ekhawulezayo yezivamvo (sensor telemetry)—iimodyuli eziqhelekileyo ze-LTE Cat-1 (ezifana nothotho lwe-SIM7600 okanye i-A7670) zizixhobo zale mihla ezilingana neemodem ezindala ze-3G. Zisebenzisa iidatha bundles eziqhelekileyo ze-4G kunye namakhadi e-SIM e-prepaid aqhelekileyo ngaphandle kokufuna ulungiselelo olukhethekileyo lwe-LPWAN APN kubaboneleli bothungelwano.
Iingcebiso Ezisebenzayo Zokuthengwa Kwezixhobo Zesikolo
Uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali lwezikolo aluvumeli ukutshintshwa kweekhithi ze-hardware rhoqo emva kweenyanga ezilishumi elinesibini. Xa uceba ukuphucula izixhobo okanye ubhala iinkcukacha zethenda yelabhoratri, sebenzisa le migaqo mithathu:
- Hlola iikhithi ezikhoyo ngoko nangoko: Khangela iikhabhathi zakho zezinto zombane (electronics) ukufumana iibhodi ze-SIM800, SIM900, okanye SIM5320. Musa ukuchitha uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali ulungisa okanye usandisa iikhithi ezakhelwe kwezi chipset.
- Misa umgangatho kwiibhodi ezidibeneyo ze-Wi-Fi/Bluetooth zabaqalayo: Kwi-80% yemisebenzi ye-IoT yegumbi lokufundela, i-microcontroller ye-ESP32 esebenzisa ii-MQTT brokers zasekhaya okanye i-Wi-Fi yekhampasi inika amava angcono okufunda kunokujongana nokuthenga i-airtime nokubhaliswa kwee-SIM. Ukuba isikolo sakho sifuna uncedo ekuphononongeni nasekuphuculeni iinkcukacha zeekhithi, iqela lethu linceda ootitshala nge Sheen Robotics Lab Sourcing.
- Cinga ngobonelelo lwe-SIM kunye namandla ombane: Iimodyuli ze-IoT yeselula zifuna amandla anyukayo ombane ngexesha lokuthumela idatha (ukuya kuthi ga kwi-2A burst). Izixhobo ezingabizi zamandla ze-breadboard ziya kucima iimodem ze-4G ngenxa yokushokoxeka kwamandla. Qinisekisa ukuba izixhobo zakho ziquka ii-capacitor ezifanelekileyo zokugcina amandla okanye ulawulo olulodwa lwamandla e-LiPo.
Ukuphela kwe-2G ayingomqobo ekufundiseni i-IoT; kukucoca okwakukudala kufuneka kwizixhobo ze-hardware. Ukutshintshela abafundi bakho kumaqonga anamhlanje afana ne-ESP32 kunye ne-NB-IoT kubalungiselela imigangatho yobunjineli abaza kuhlangana nayo kushishino, endaweni yeeprotokholi ezaqulunqwa ngeminyaka yoo-1990. Ukufumana iinketho ze-hardware yeklasi elungelelanisiweyo kunye nekharityhulam eyenzelwe imigangatho yanamhlanje yoqhagamshelwano, jonga Sheen IoT modules and kits.
