1. NS Data

NS Data is the lowest-level raw data in ThinkLink — it records the LoRaWAN MAC-layer frames exchanged between the gateway and the NS, including full physical-layer parameters (RSSI, SNR, frequency, etc.) and the encrypted device payload. Use NS Data for deep debugging, network performance analysis, and radio coverage evaluation.

Data Flow

flowchart LR
    DEV[LoRaWAN Device]:::dim
    GW[Gateway]:::dim
    NS[NS Data\nRaw MAC frames]:::highlight
    AS[AS Data\nDecrypted structured payload]:::dim
    RT[Realtime Data\nThing-model values]:::dim
    HIS[Historical Data\nTime-range archive]:::dim

    DEV -->|Radio signal| GW
    GW -->|SEMTECH UDP| NS
    NS -->|LoRaWAN decrypt| AS
    AS -->|Thing model parser| RT
    RT -->|Persist| HIS

    classDef highlight fill:#1a6fcf,color:#fff,stroke:#1a6fcf
    classDef dim fill:#f0f0f0,color:#888,stroke:#ddd

You are here: NS Data is the first layer after radio reaches ThinkLink. The payload is still encrypted. If you only need business values like temperature or humidity, go directly to Realtime Data.

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1.1. Data Format

NS Data is served in JSON. There are two packet types: uplink (rxpk) and downlink (txpk).

Uplink (rxpk)

{
  "EUI": "5a53012501030011",
  "token": 35160,
  "payload": {
    "rxpk": {
      "mid": 8,
      "chan": 4,
      "codr": "4/5",
      "data": "QKg6ATAAQ2sL/g+03laRsIW5iqvAAD0TohUdGw==",
      "datr": "SF7BW125",
      "foff": 9,
      "freq": 471.1,
      "jver": 1,
      "lsnr": 12,
      "modu": "LORA",
      "rfch": 1,
      "rssi": -95,
      "size": 28,
      "stat": 1,
      "time": "2025-09-24T07:02:03.802672Z",
      "tmst": 2379579148,
      "rssis": -96
    }
  },
  "version": 2,
  "identifier": 0
}

Field	Description
EUI	EUI of the receiving gateway
rxpk.rssi	Received signal strength (dBm) — closer to 0 is better
rxpk.lsnr	Signal-to-noise ratio (dB) — higher positive value is better
rxpk.freq	Uplink frequency (MHz)
rxpk.datr	Spreading factor and bandwidth, e.g. SF7BW125
rxpk.data	Base64-encoded encrypted LoRaWAN payload
rxpk.time	Gateway receive timestamp (UTC)

Downlink (txpk)

{
  "EUI": "5a53012501030011",
  "token": 52914,
  "payload": {
    "txpk": {
      "codr": "4/5",
      "data": "YKg6ATIm+AkNqlP+VU6cdZ50",
      "datr": "SF7BW125",
      "fdev": 0,
      "freq": 501.5,
      "imme": false,
      "ipol": true,
      "modu": "LORA",
      "ncrc": false,
      "powe": 22,
      "prea": 8,
      "rfch": 1,
      "size": 18,
      "time": "",
      "tmms": 0,
      "tmst": 760845965
    }
  },
  "version": 2,
  "identifier": 3
}

Field	Description
txpk.freq	Downlink frequency (MHz)
txpk.powe	Transmit power (dBm)
txpk.data	Base64-encoded downlink payload
txpk.tmst	Target send timestamp (aligned to device receive window)

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1.2. LoRaWAN Frame Decoder

Click + next to any row to expand the LoRaWAN protocol-layer decode view, showing MIC verification, frame counter, ADR flag, and other MAC-layer fields. Useful for diagnosing Join failures and frame counter anomalies.

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1.3. When to Use NS Data

Scenario	Why NS Data helps
Device can't Join	Check whether a Join Request uplink exists
Signal quality evaluation	Read RSSI / SNR per gateway
Frame counter anomaly	Expand decoder to inspect FCNT
Confirm downlink reached gateway	Check whether a txpk entry appears

Note: The data field in NS Data is the encrypted raw payload. To read decrypted structured content, go to AS Data.

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1.4. Search Tips

Choose the right search field based on the device's current state:

Device state	Recommended search field	Reason
Never joined, or just reset	DevEUI	Join Request and Join Accept frames are identified by DevEUI — no DevAddr exists yet
Already joined, sending data	DevAddr	After joining, all data frames use the dynamically assigned DevAddr

For the full data-reception troubleshooting flow (gateway online → NS → AS → Realtime Data), see AS Data → Troubleshooting.