What Is Field Tester Pad?
Field Tester Pad is a professional LoRaWAN field testing device that measures both uplink and downlink performance on site, without requiring a laptop or backend access. It is used for deployment validation, commissioning, acceptance testing, and troubleshooting of LoRaWAN networks.
Engineers use it to capture RSSI, SNR, packet loss, data rate, and timing behavior while moving through a site, then turn those measurements into map-based coverage views or indoor scatter plots for fast interpretation. Standardized test sessions create repeatable evidence that can be exported as CSV or PDF for handover and audit trails.
With offline maps, labeling, and on-device graphs, it supports disciplined field workflows that reduce rework and help teams document network health consistently across locations.
Who Is Field Tester Pad Designed For?
Field Tester Pad is best for professional LoRaWAN deployment and troubleshooting teams who need a LoRaWAN commissioning device for repeatable, on-site proof of network performance, without a laptop or backend access.
Best for:
- RF/IoT engineers validating gateway placement and coverage
- System integrators & installers running commissioning and acceptance tests
- Network operators & enterprise teams standardizing multi-site field testing
- Smart city / industrial IoT teams that need uplink + downlink reliability data
- Field technicians troubleshooting packet loss and weak areas quickly
Why You Need a Field Tester for LoRaWAN Deployment
Field work often fails when results are hard to reproduce or too slow to interpret on-site, especially when a LoRaWAN signal tester isn’t available at the test point. Field Tester Pad helps teams make confident coverage decisions at the point of installation, reduce revisit trips, and deliver documentation customers can approve quickly.
Why it’s useful:
- Fewer revisits: Find weak areas early and fix placement before teams leave the site
- Clear acceptance evidence: Provide consistent results that customers can review and sign off on
- Faster troubleshooting: Pinpoint likely coverage or interference issues without extended back-and-forth
Field Tester Pad functions as a LoRaWAN network testing tool for commissioning, acceptance, and on-site troubleshooting.
What Makes Downlink Testing Critical in LoRaWAN Networks
Field Tester Pad is a LoRaWAN uplink and downlink tester, designed to validate what uplink-only tools miss.
Uplink-only testing can approve a site that will fail in production. A gateway hearing a device does not guarantee the device can reliably receive what the network must send back.
Downlink is the critical path because it is more constrained, more selective, and more operationally important than uplink:
- Class A timing is unforgiving
End devices typically listen only in short RX windows immediately after an uplink. If the downlink isn’t received in that window, due to RF conditions, timing, or configuration, it’s simply missed.
- The network chooses the downlink path
Uplinks may be heard by multiple gateways, but downlinks are usually transmitted by a selected gateway at specific RX1/RX2 settings. That selection and timing can expose weak zones that uplink testing never reveals.
- Downlink capacity is limited
Gateways have transmit constraints (regional limits, duty-cycle/airtime limits, scheduling contention). Under real network load, downlinks can be delayed or dropped even when uplinks look stable.
- Key LoRaWAN functions depend on downlink
OTAA join-accept, confirmed message ACKs, ADR and MAC commands, and remote control/commands all require downlink reliability. If downlink is weak, the network becomes hard to commission, hard to optimize, and unreliable to operate.
Key Features of Field Tester Pad
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Full bidirectional LoRaWAN analysis (uplink + downlink)
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- Measures uplink (gateway hears device) and downlink (device hears gateway) in one workflow
- Tracks RSSI, SNR, packet loss, data rate, TX power, ADR status, and last downlink time
- Supports validation for confirmed messages (ACK) and Class A reliability
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On-device visualization for faster field decisions
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- 7-inch 1024×600 touchscreen for clear, on-site interpretation
- Live graphs for RSSI/SNR/packet loss, plus gateway count, distances, and coordinates
- No laptop required; results are accessible directly on the device
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Standardized 50-packet
test sessions for repeatable results
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- Automated 50-packet runs over ~5 minutes to capture variance over time
- Produces consistent evidence for installation acceptance, multi-site comparison, and interference checks
- Improves repeatability across technicians by keeping the test method consistent
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Indoor + outdoor
mapping with offline capability
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- Outdoor mapping with high-efficiency GNSS for auto-tagged points and gateway distance estimation
- Indoor testing via Custom GPS mode for no-signal environments (factories, warehouses, buildings)
- Coverage visualization via heatmaps (outdoor) and RSSI/SNR scatter charts (indoor)
- Offline maps support multiple regions and work without internet access, making it an offline LoRaWAN coverage testing device for remote sites
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Reporting, labeling, and
export-ready documentation
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- Labeling mode supports structured test points (6-character labels + 30-character descriptions)
- Export results via USB as PDF reports (charts + map previews) or CSV raw data (RSSI/SNR/DR/GPS timestamps)
- Reports include labeled and unlabeled data for clean handover and audit trails
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Compatible with major LoRaWAN network stacks
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- Works with ChirpStack, The Things Network (TTN), and AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN
- Supports RAK WisGateOS 2 built-in LNS for local testing without internet access
- LinkCheck mode enables testing even when backend access is unavailable
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Hardware built for
field use
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- RAK10701-Pad platform with Raspberry Pi CM4-based system
- 20,000mAh battery for 11+ hours operation; USB Type-C external power support
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45 10/100/1000), and BLE for accessories
- Design highlights: external SMA LoRa antenna, microSD firmware slot, USB Type-A for exporting files
- Environmental: -20°C to +40°C operating, -20°C to +60°C storage; size 185 × 123 × 42.5 mm
- LoRaWAN: 1.0.3 compliant, OTAA, Class A, multi-band support (RU864/IN865/EU868/US915/AU915/KR920/AS923-1/2/3/4)
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Standardized Test Sessions for Repeatable Evidence
Field testing breaks down when results depend on technician habits or “one good reading.” As a professional LoRaWAN tester, Field Tester Pad uses standardized test sessions (e.g., 50 packets over ~5 minutes) to produce repeatable, comparable evidence at every test point.
This makes it possible to:
- Measure variance, not snapshots: capture packet loss and RSSI/SNR behavior over time.
- Compare before/after changes: validate gateway placement, antenna adjustments, ADR, and tuning using the same method.
- Deliver acceptance-ready proof: export consistent results for handover, sign-off, and audits using a LoRaWAN acceptance testing device.
