System Online SRD · LoRa · 868 MHz · 433 MHz
✆ 01256 910057 finchdata.co.uk ↗
Under the Hood

Our Technology

A deep look at the radio technologies, platforms and protocols we use to build reliable, compliant wireless systems.

Core Technology

LoRa — Long Range Spread Spectrum

LoRa (Long Range) is a proprietary spread-spectrum modulation technique developed by Semtech. Unlike conventional narrowband FM or FSK radios, LoRa distributes transmitted energy across a wide bandwidth using chirp spread-spectrum (CSS), giving it exceptional immunity to interference and outstanding sensitivity.

🔋
How LoRa Works
LoRa uses chirp signals — radio pulses that sweep upward (or downward) in frequency. Spreading factors (SF7–SF12) determine how many chips represent each data bit. Higher SFs give longer range and better sensitivity at the cost of reduced data rate and longer on-air time.
📊
Spreading Factors
SF7 — fastest, shortest range, lowest sensitivity
SF9 — typical mid-range IoT sensor
SF12 — -137 dBm sensitivity, up to 10 km
Data rate drops from ~5.5 kbps (SF7) to ~0.25 kbps (SF12).
⚡
Power Consumption
LoRa radio-on-silicon devices like the SX1276 draw just 10–12 mA during transmission and under 1 μA in deep sleep. Combined with infrequent transmissions, a single AA battery can power a sensor node for years.
🌎
LoRaWAN vs Proprietary
LoRaWAN is the open MAC layer standard running above LoRa, used with public network servers (TTN, Helium). Proprietary LoRa networks bypass this overhead — we design both architectures depending on application requirements and existing infrastructure.
Regulatory Reference

UK / EU Frequency Allocations

All Qradio equipment operates within licensed short-range device (SRD) bands under ETSI EN300-220 and EN300-328 standards, requiring no radio licence for operation in the UK and EU.

Frequency Band Reference Table
Band / Range Max Power Duty Cycle Modulation Typical Use
433.05–434.79 MHz 10 mW ERP 10% OOK / FSK / LoRa General telemetry, keyfobs
868.00–868.60 MHz 25 mW ERP 1% FSK / LoRa LoRaWAN Ch1–3
868.70–869.20 MHz 25 mW ERP 0.1% FSK / LoRa Low duty-cycle sensors
869.20–869.25 MHz 10 mW ERP 100% NBFM Life-critical alarms (Cat. 1)
869.40–869.65 MHz 500 mW ERP 10% FSK / LoRa High power, alarm systems, SRD860
458.00–458.50 MHz 500 mW ERP Narrowband NBFM Industrial telemetry, UK only
Hardware Platforms

Radio Modules & MCU Platforms

We select proven, well-supported radio modules and microcontrollers for each project, prioritising long-term component availability and regulatory compliance.

🔋
eByte E22 LoRa radio module
eByte LoRa Modules
E22-900M22S and E32 series modules based on Semtech SX1262 / SX1276. We use these on custom RP2040 PCBs for multi-channel LoRa systems with full control over frequency, power and spreading factor via SPI.
🔌
Radiometrix Modules
The Radiometrix LRM3 (LoRa 869 MHz) and NTX2B / NRX2B narrowband FM modules are used where proven industrial-grade radio performance is needed. Radiometrix modules carry full CE marking for SRD applications.
🔭
RF Solutions Modules
RF Solutions ZULU-L and GAMMA series provide compact FSK/OOK solutions for 433 MHz and 868 MHz applications. Suitable for lower-cost, higher-volume sensor node designs with simple UART interfaces.
⚙
Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040
Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040
The Raspberry Pi RP2040 running MicroPython is our preferred MCU platform — fast development, excellent peripheral support, dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ and readily available in the UK.
📲
SIM7000 Cellular IoT
For cloud-connected systems we use the SIMCom SIM7000 NB-IoT / LTE-M module as a GSM uplink — providing UDP/TCP connectivity to our PHP-based server endpoints from anywhere with mobile coverage.
📦
Mandar — Radio Design
Mandar provides radio design resources, reference designs and RF engineering expertise. We reference their work when evaluating circuit topologies and RF system architectures for new product developments.
Regulatory

Compliance & Certification

Any radio transmitter sold in the UK or EU must comply with the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) and carry CE marking. We design compliance in from the start — not as an afterthought.

  • ETSI EN300-220-1 — SRD radios in 868/869 MHz bands
  • ETSI EN300-220-2 — Category 1 life-critical receivers
  • ETSI EN300-328 — 2.4 GHz wideband transmission equipment
  • UK Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 (post-Brexit UK CA mark)
  • OFCOM Interface Requirements IR 2030 — UK SRD use
// CE / RED Checklist

✓ Article 3.1(a) Electrical safety
✓ Article 3.1(b) EMC — EN55032
✓ Article 3.2   Radio spectrum
✓ ETSI EN300-220 SRD
✓ Duty Cycle  compliant

// UK Post-Brexit
▶ UKCA mark also required
▶ IR 2030   OFCOM SRD

// Test house: accredited UK lab
// DoC: Declaration of Conformity
Industry Reference

Further Reading

For detailed product datasheets and module specifications, we reference these trusted UK radio industry suppliers:

🔌 mandar.co.uk — Radio Design 🔋 radiometrix.com — Radio Modules 🔭 rfsolutions.co.uk — RF Modules