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The Myriota Module is capable of both transmitting and receiving messages via the Myriota Network. We call the receive path the downlink.
What frequency is used for the downlink?
Both the Service 1 (M1) and Service 2 (M2) variants of the Module are downlink capable, and use the UHF frequency receiving from the Myriota Network.
Refer to the Service Types article for more information on the differences between Myriota Network Service 1 and Service 2, and the Myriota Module Datasheet for detailed technical information on the different Module variants.
Refer to the the Myriota Antenna Design Guide to understand the radio frequency requirements of the downlink.
What is the downlink used for today?
Right now, the downlink is used to deliver Myriota network updates.
These updates are essential for keeping Myriota-enabled devices in sync with the Network by:
- informing Modules of the current time,
- informing Modules about new satellites in the Myriota constellation,
- updating satellite orbital parameters and radio configuration,
- providing regulatory permission updates,
- providing security updates.
Does my device need to be capable of receiving on the downlink?
All Myriota-enabled devices must be capable of receiving from the Network. Without periodic update modules will ultimately lose track of the Myriota satellite constellation.
Modules that do not have the capability to receive via the downlink will not able to take advantage of increases in Network capacity as existing assets are replaced and new assets come online. For these reasons, the downlink is mandatory for long term deployments.
How do I design my Myriota-enabled device so that it's downlink-ready?
The Myriota Antenna Design Guide provides the information you need to design and build a Myriota-enabled product that is downlink ready.
Our Support team is ready help answer any questions or provide more design assistance. Submit a ticket for assistance and feedback.
How do I know if my device is successfully receiving via the Myriota Network downlink?
There are two ways to review the receive performance of a given device, both of which are shown in Device Manager.
RX Rate
The first gauge is to review the RX Rate of the device in the Devices screen. An RX Rate greater than 5% is the minimum required for a device to be viable in the field. To view this metric, log into the Device Manager and locate the device of interest in the Devices table. Scroll across to the Rx Rate column.
Note: If you cannot see this column in the table, scroll horizontally until you can see the Configure columns icon in the table header and click on this. Turn on the RX Rate column in the dialog.
The RX Rate provides a two week rolling average of the percentage of receive success for the device. Put more simply; on average, what percentage of messages broadcast from the Myriota Network to the device were successfully received over the last two weeks.
This information is derived from the diagnostics messages that are transmitted perodically by every Myriota Module.
RX Telemetry chart
To get a deeper understanding of the trends of receive performance for a given device over time, you should use the Device Telemetry chart.
With the device of interest selected in the Devices table, click on the 'Telemetry' button that appears above the table. This will display a chart of historic receive performance. An average RX Rate greater than 5% is the minimum required for a device to be viable in the field. When judging the overall quality and suitability of receive performance for a device, it is important to consider this average, rather any one individual data point on the Telemetry chart.
You should expect to see variance in performance between individual dates, as a device will naturally perform differently from one day to the next depending on the quality of individual satellite passes, and transient environmental factors, such as external noise and weather events.
My device is performing at the minimum required, should I aim for more?
There are a number of benefits to increasing the RX performance of your device, including:
- Devices will respond to network changes more quickly, as devices with low RX success rates may require more downlink attempts to successfully receive a network update
- Receive performance is a contributing factor to power consumption, and a higher RX success rate can help extend the battery life of the device
- Device design may be ready for the receipt of user messages once this capability is released, as this feature will require a higher minimum success rate
If you would like assistance to increase the downlink performance of your device, submit a ticket today and Support team will be in touch.
Can I use the downlink to control my device?
The Device Control capability of the Myriota Network described in the Device Control section.