- Start Date: 2020-02-18
- HIP PR: #10
LongFi is not a full protocol from the ground up, but instead a blockchain layer on top of LoRaWAN. This allows any off-the-shelf LoRaWAN device to connect to the Helium network if you can update its AppKey and AppEui.
There are many LoRaWAN compatible devices already out there and LoRaWAN already has many desirable protocol features (ACK, downlink, FCC certified, international specification). In order to accelerate adoption of the Helium network and to lower technical barriers, LongFi is no longer a distinct protocol from LoRaWAN but instead a layering of some blockchain components on top of LoRaWAN.
- LoRaWAN device users
This initial implementation of LongFi on LoRaWAN focuses on a single method of end-device activation: Over-the-Air Activation (OTAA). Activation by Personalization (ABP) is currently not supported.
In the US902-928 regulatory domain, the Helium network will operate on LoRaWAN channels 48-55 (sub-band 7):
Channel 48, 911.900 Mhz
Channel 49, 912.100 Mhz
Channel 50, 912.300 Mhz
Channel 51, 912.500 Mhz
Channel 52, 912.700 Mhz
Channel 53, 912.900 Mhz
Channel 54, 913.100 Mhz
Channel 55, 913.300 Mhz
In OTAA, DevEUI, AppEUI, and AppKey are all the unencrypted LoRaWAN primitives used in the Join Request:
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| Size (octets) | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Join Request | AppEUI | DevEUI | DevNonce |
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
source: LoRaWAN Specification 6.2.4
The LongFi primitives of Organizational Unique Identifier (OUI) and DeviceId are mapped into AppEUI. The most significant 4 octets are OUI while the least significant 4 octets are DeviceId.
_______________________________________________
| AppEUI (8 octets) |
| OUI (4 octets) | DeviceId (4 octets) |
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
Thus Helium miners receiving these unencrypted Join messages are able to route the request to the appropriate Router (ie: a NetworkServer) by deriving the OUI from the AppEUI and then looking up the OUI route from the blockchain records.
DevEUI currently plays no role in LongFi, but remains important for LoRaWAN functions.
Assuming the OUI is registered in the blockchain appropriately, Hotspots will route the JoinRequest packet to the appropriate Router. The Router will use the Message Integrity Check (MIC) to authenticate the JoinRequest and, if successful, an unencrypted JoinAccept message will be communicated down to the Hotspot which transmits to the device, providing a NetId, DevAddr, and AppNonce.
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| Size (octets) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | (16) Optional |
| Join Accept | AppNonce | NetId | DevAddr | DLSettings | RxDelay | CFList |
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
source: LoRaWAN Specification 6.2.5
Thanks to the shared secret AppKey, these fields allow the Device and Router to privately derive the same NwkSKey and AppSKey (LoRaWAN Specification 6.2.5). Henceforth, payloads are encrypted using NwkSkey and AppSkey (LoRaWAN Specification 4.3.3).
The DevAddr is used by LongFi to indicate the OUI and this is part of the Frame Header Structure (FHDR) of all messages after the successful Join; this enables Hotspots to continue forwarding packets to the appropriate Router.
The Router/NetworkServer derives the DeviceId by bruteforcing the MIC against its list of active session keys.
According to "LoRaWAN Regional Parameters 2.24: US902-928 JoinAccept CFList", the optional CFList parameter is ignored by the device if appended to the Join-Response. For this reason, the MAC Command (LoRaWAN Specification 5) LinkADRReq is used to set a channel mask appropriate for the Helium Network. MAC commands can only be piggybacked onto a MACPayload, therefore, these will only be sent when there is a downlink message (ie: not a Join-Response).
- Devices are required to update their AppKey and AppEUI to join the Helium Network
- There is no "Fingerprint" mechanism. That is to say, there no way for a Router to validate a message before accepting it from a Hotspot; therefore, Hotspot will forward packets without any negotiation with Routers.
- A standalone LongFi protocol was taking too long
- Modifications to the LoRaWAN specification may be made later to try to address any architectural shortcomings