Industrialization

As with all the steps in creating a new device, industrialization should be on your mind at all times. You must start thinking about it even before your final design is ready, as it can have an impact on that design.

Still, you can only start industrialization once your device has been certified by Sigfox (Sigfox Verified, Sigfox Ready), and has passed the type approval (FCC, ETSI, ARIB, etc.). See the Certification step for more information.

You must have completed all the previous steps before you reach this one. Don't start working on industrialization without knowing all the ins and outs presented during Journey steps on Build.

Production testing is essential. You simply cannot go forward with the commercialization of your object without having first properly tested it in a production environment.

Testing requires good planning and strict measurement of quality. That being said, tests themselves can be very easy to set up:

• You do not need any specific Sigfox equipment.
• You do not need to register the device on the Sigfox backend.
• Testing a device for its Sigfox support takes less than 15 seconds.

NOTE: While you can use Sigfox Cloud for industrial tests, we recommend you do not use it during the testing phase. The Sigfox network is not optimized for such tests. Because Sigfox devices are just like any other RF device, they can be tested using regular RF test equipment, and we advise you to choose this option for your tests.

 To perform the tests on your device, you need the following standard equipment:

• A testbench PC,
• A power meter,
• A signal generator,
• A spectrum analyzer,
• A Faraday cage (optional).

You can also rely on LitePoint IQxel, a Sigfox-validated family of testers. The IQxel-M is a one-box solution for wireless connectivity testing. Learn more about it here. 

The Sigfox Resource Center has a full description of the necessary production tests. 

In order to successfully pass industrial tests, here are good practices that we promote:

• Lab testing is good, field testing is better. You should always test your device's performance in real conditions, according to how it is supposed to be placed/used: metallic bin, hole in the ground, on a wall, etc.)
• Design and manufacture a device that is testable by design. This means that you need to develop your tests at the same time that you design your hardware and software -- not after!
• Maximize tests when the printed circuit board (PCB) is reachable. This is when it is easiest (and cheapest!) to run tests. Use this time to perform as many tests as possible. If you need to run tests with a device enclosure, try to figure out how to do it early in the design phase.
• Store your Sigfox ID and initial PAC in plain sight. Your device has a unique ID and initial PAC, which should be clearly accessible on the device, its packaging, or even its PCB. You can put a label or QR code on the device's boxing, for instance.
• Keep in mind that your device is a RF product. You can perform a lot of tests simply by basing those tests on RF performances.

Credentials and provisioning

Your device must contain proper credentials before you sell it. These credentials make your device unique on the Sigfox network. This way, the network knows that your device transmits the data payload in a secure way.

Obtaining Sigfox credentials for your device is called "provisioning". 

Unless you build your hardware on your own (full approach) the modem maker should provide ready-to-use components, which must embed the credentials and also give a way to access them. The responsibility to flash the credentials falls on either the modem manufacturer, the Secure Elements manufacturer, or in some case the System on Chip manufacturer.  

What are the Sigfox credentials

There are three credentials to be flashed into your device's memory:

• The ID: Each ID is unique to the whole Sigfox network. It is also independent of your Sigfox subscription.
• The Key: The key is only known to your providers (modem maker, Secure Elements maker, or System on Chip maker).
• The PAC: The Porting Authorization Code is a one-time code, used to register your device on a specific group on the Sigfox Cloud. Its aim is to prevent someone from attaching their device to the device's own group without having ownership on the device. 

The device's PAC is tied to that device's ID only. This means that two devices cannot share the same PAC.

Note: Secure Elements (SE) is the name of a hardware element, to be integrated into devices intended to use the Sigfox network. It increases the security level of the device by storing sensitive data, such as the Network Access Key (NAK).  

The credential procedure: an overview

The procedure varies depending on whether the target device uses a regular modem, or a modem that implements a Secure Elements chipset. There are a handful of profiles in this procedure: 

• Secure Elements manufacturer, 
• Modem manufacturer, 
• Device maker, 
• Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS), 
• Sigfox customer. 

They can be separate entities, or a single company can be more than one profile. Each must make specific actions during their part of the whole procedure. For instance, a device maker can also manufacture its own modem. Several steps of the procedure requires to upload or download files from the Sigfox Central Registration Authority (CRA).  The reason is to allow the CRA to track the Secure Elements, modem, and device production. 

The following information applies to the main profiles of the credential procedure chain. 

The credential procedure: For modem manufacturer

The modem manufacturer can follow two procedures, depending on whether the modular design needs to feature a SE component or not. With a regular modem (no SE):

1. Obtain Sigfox Verified certification.
2. Send a request for credentials through the Sigfox Service Desk. Indicate the M_ certificate number (M_xxxx_xxxx) and the number of IDs requested.
3. Log in to the Sigfox CRA, and download the encrypted credential files. 
4. Perform production testing on the modem with an RF path.
5. Flash the credentials (ID, PAC) into the modem.
6. On the CRA, upload each modem on the corresponding M_ certificate.
7. If the model is available for purchase, write down instructions for the device maker, including how to retrieve the ID and PAC from the modem.

The credential procedure: For device maker (based on a purchased modular design)

1. Obtain Sigfox Ready certification.
2. Retrieve each device's production ID and PAC from the modem by following the guidelines provided by the modem maker. This retrieval can be done by the test bench through RF or wired link.
3. Build a file (.txt or .csv) containing the ID and PAC of the current devices that you manufactured. The expected format is described on the CRA.
4. Log in to the CRA and upload this file on the corresponding Product certificate (P_ xxxx_xxxx) delivered by the Sigfox certification team.
5. Package your device into a complete product, with all the necessary ancillaries: documentation, boxing, etc. Make sure to provide the ID, PAC and product certificate to the Sigfox customer, either in a file, on a label, or by any other means.

The credential procedure: For device maker (based on full approach)

1. Obtain Sigfox Ready certification.
2. Send a request for credentials through the Sigfox Service Desk. Indicate the M_ credential number (M_xxxx_xxxx) mentioned on the certificate and the number of IDs requested.
3. Log in to the Sigfox CRA and download the encrypted credential files (ID, PAC). 
4. Build a file (.txt or .csv) containing the ID and PAC of the current devices that you manufactured
5. Log in to the CRA and upload this file on the corresponding Product certificate (P_ xxxx_xxxx) delivered by the Sigfox certification team.
6. Package your device into a complete product, with all the necessary ancillaries: documentation, boxing, etc. Make sure to provide the ID, PAC and product certificate to the Sigfox customer, either in a file, on a label, or by any other means.