API Reference

Topic: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/up

Message:

{
  "app_id": "my-app-id",              // Same as in the 
topic
  "dev_id": "my-dev-id",              // Same as in the 
topic
  "hardware_serial": "0102030405060708", // In case of 
LoRaWAN: the DevEUI
  "port": 1,                          // LoRaWAN 
FPort
  "counter": 2,                       // LoRaWAN frame 
counter
  "is_retry": false,                  // Is set to true if 
this message is a retry (you could also detect this from the counter)
  "confirmed": false,                 // Is set to true if 
this message was a confirmed message
  "payload_raw": "AQIDBA==",          // Base64 encoded 
payload: [0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04]
  "payload_fields": {},               // Object containing the results from the 
payload functions - left out when empty
  "metadata": {
    "airtime": 46336000,              // Airtime in 
nanoseconds
    "time": "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z",   // Time when the 
server received the message
    "frequency": 868.1,               // Frequency at which 
the message was sent
    "modulation": "LORA",             // Modulation that was 
used - LORA or FSK
    "data_rate": "SF7BW125",          // Data rate that was 
used - if LORA modulation
    "bit_rate": 50000,                // Bit rate that was 
used - if FSK modulation
    "coding_rate": "4/5",             // Coding rate that 
was used
    "gateways": [
      {
        "gtw_id": "ttn-herengracht-ams", // EUI of the 
gateway
        "timestamp": 12345,              // Timestamp when the 
gateway received the message
        "time": "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z",  // Time when the 
gateway received the message - left out when gateway does not have synchronized time
        "channel": 0,                    // Channel where the 
gateway received the message
        "rssi": -25,                     // Signal strength of the received message
        "snr": 5,                        // Signal to noise 
ratio of the received message
        "rf_chain": 0,                   // RF chain where the 
gateway received the message
        "latitude": 52.1234,             // Latitude of the 
gateway reported in its status updates
        "longitude": 6.1234,             // Longitude of the 
gateway
        "altitude": 6                    // Altitude of the gateway
      },
      //...more if received by more gateways...
    ],
    "latitude": 52.2345,              // Latitude of the 
device
    "longitude": 6.2345,              // Longitude of the 
device
    "altitude": 2                     // Altitude of the device
  }
}

Note: Some values may be omitted if they are null, false, "" or 0.

Usage (Mosquitto): mosquitto_sub -h <Region>.thethings.network -d -t 'my-app-id/devices/my-dev-id/up'

Usage (Go client):

import (
	"github.com/TheThingsNetwork/go-utils/log"
	"github.com/TheThingsNetwork/go-utils/log/apex"
	"github.com/TheThingsNetwork/ttn/core/types"
	"github.com/TheThingsNetwork/ttn/mqtt"
)

func main() {
	ctx := apex.Stdout().WithField("Example", "Go Client")
	log.Set(ctx)

	client := mqtt.NewClient(ctx, "ttnctl", "my-app-id", "my-access-key", "<Region>.thethings.network:1883")
	if err := client.Connect(); err 
!= nil {
		ctx.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not connect")
	}
	token := client.SubscribeDeviceUplink("my-app-id", "my-dev-id", func(client 
mqtt.Client, appID string, devID string, req types.UplinkMessage) {
		// Do something with the uplink message
	})
	token.Wait()
	if err := token.Error(); err 
!= nil {
		ctx.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not subscribe")
	}
}

Each uplink field will be published to its own topic my-app-id/devices/my-dev-id/up/<field>. The payload will be a string with the value in a JSON-style encoding.

If your fields look like the following:

{
  "water": true,
  "analog": [0, 255, 500, 1000],
  "gps": {
    "lat": 52.3736735,
    "lon": 4.886663
  },
  "text": "why are you using text?"
}

you will see this on MQTT:

Topic: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/down

Message:

{
  "port": 1,                 // LoRaWAN FPort
  "confirmed": false,        // Whether the downlink should 
be confirmed by the device
  "payload_raw": "AQIDBA==", // Base64 encoded payload: 
[0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04]
}

Usage (Mosquitto): mosquitto_pub -h <Region>.thethings.network -d -t 'my-app-id/devices/my-dev-id/down' -m '{"port":1,"payload_raw":"AQIDBA=="}'

Usage (Go client):

for setup, see Uplink Messages

token := 
client.PublishDownlink(types.DownlinkMessage{
  AppID:   "my-app-id",
  DevID:   "my-dev-id",
  FPort:   1,
  Payload: []byte{0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04},
})
token.Wait()
if err := token.Error(); err 
!= nil {
  ctx.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not publish")
}

Instead of payload_raw you can also use payload_fields with an object of fields. This requires the application to be configured with an Encoder Payload Function which encodes the fields into a Buffer.

Message:

{
  "port": 1,                 // LoRaWAN FPort
  "confirmed": false,        // Whether the downlink should 
be confirmed by the device
  "payload_fields": {
    "led": true
  }
}

Usage (Mosquitto): mosquitto_pub -h <Region>.thethings.network -d -t 'my-app-id/devices/my-dev-id/down' -m '{"port":1,"payload_fields":{"led":true}}'

Usage (Go client):

for setup, see Uplink Messages

token := 
client.PublishDownlink(types.DownlinkMessage{
  AppID:   "my-app-id",
  DevID:   "my-dev-id",
  FPort:   1,
  Fields: map[string]interface{}{
    "led": true,
  },
})
token.Wait()
if err := token.Error(); err 
!= nil {
  ctx.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not publish")
}

By default, the downlink will replace the currently scheduled downlink, if any. It is also possible to schedule the downlink as the first or last item in a the downlink queue.

{
  "port": 1,
  "confirmed": false,
  // payload_raw or payload_fields
  "schedule": "replace", // allowed values: "replace" 
(default), "first", "last"
}

Device Activations

Topic: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/activations

Message:

{
  "app_eui": "0102030405060708", // EUI of the 
application
  "dev_eui": "0102030405060708", // EUI of the device
  "dev_addr": "26001716",        // Assigned address of the 
device
  "metadata": {
    // Same as with Uplink Message
  }
}

Usage (Mosquitto): mosquitto_sub -h <Region>.thethings.network -d -t 'my-app-id/devices/my-dev-id/events/activations'

Usage (Go client):

for setup, see Uplink Messages

token := 
client.SubscribeDeviceActivations("my-app-id", "my-dev-id", func(client Client, appID string, devID 
string, req Activation) {
  // Do something with the activation
})
token.Wait()
if err := token.Error(); err 
!= nil {
  ctx.WithError(err).Fatal("Could not subscribe")
}

Device Events

Management Events

Created: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/create Updated: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/update Deleted: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/delete

Downlink Scheduled: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/down/scheduled
payload: null

Downlink Sent: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/down/sent

{
  "payload": "Base64 encoded LoRaWAN packet",
  "gateway_id": "some-gateway",
  "config": {
    "modulation": "LORA",
    "data_rate": "SF7BW125",
    "airtime": 46336000,
    "counter": 123,
    "frequency": 868300000,
    "power": 14
  }
}

Downlink Acknowledgements: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/down/acks
payload: null

Error Events

The payload of error events is a JSON object with the error’s description.

Uplink Errors: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/up/errors
Downlink Errors: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/down/errors
Activation Errors: <AppID>/devices/<DevID>/events/activations/errors

Example: {"error":"Activation DevNonce not valid: already used"}