Monitoring particle accelerators with wireless IoT

Deployment of a private LoRaWAN® network at CERN started in 2019 to complement the sitewide Wi-Fi network and to meet a demand from our community of technologically advanced users. In addition to indoor coverage in our many buildings, we also provide coverage over around 60 km 2 of the surrounding area via outdoor gateways strategically positioned within the campus. Also challenging is the environment in the tunnels for CERN’s particle accelerators and detectors, the instruments used to uncover the secrets of the universe. The radiation levels whilst the accelerators are running rapidly damage any electronic equipment not conceived for such environments. LoRa-based sensors, though, enable measurements that would not otherwise be possible, so CERN has developed a radiation-tolerant IoT platform based on LoRaWAN®. First tested in 2021, more than 40 gateways today ensure the coverage of over 60 km of tunnels and caverns enabling battery-powered sensors to be placed anywhere—and, if necessary, extremely rapidly—providing crucial real-time data about key aspects of accelerator performance.