LoRaWAN

Technical performance

LoRaWAN has often been put into head to head competition with NB-IoT for the title of “best IoT radio technology”. Rather than choosing a winner this might be more of a choice of which eco-system to invest in and how the infrastructure should be managed. NB-IoT is managed by telecom operators, giving you defined service level but reliant on their geographical coverage. For LoRaWAN there are service providers, just like telecom operators, but you could also choose to build your own network infrastructure and expanding a LoRaWAN network is comparatively inexpensive. 

As with all radio technologies using the unlicensed frequency bands it can suffer from interference of other radio devices – all transmitters compete for the same resource “air time” when transmitting – and damping of the signal caused by physical objects between sender and receiver. Compared to other radio solutions LoRaWAN offers long range and high penetration (ability to pass through physical objects). 

Messages from meters/sensors that are lost due to e.g. radio conditions are typically considered to be non-recoverable. In comparison with Wireless M-Bus, LoRaWAN devices sends fewer messages per time unit, but has a higher “per message reliability” and with the possibility to acknowledge reception. Additionally, LoRaWAN systems can also scale in a better way using a mechanism called Adaptive Data Rate (ADR)”. This means that meters/sensors that are near a receiver (gateway) optimize their communication scheme to minimize interference with other meters/sensors. 

To utilize the full potential of long-range communication with LoRaWAN, data messages must be kept very short, resulting in a low bandwidth. LoRaWAN devices can also offer excellent battery performance, well above 10 years for a single AA sized cell. However, solutions requiring a long battery lifetime, the resolution is typically a few messages per day or the distance between sender and receiver needs to be kept well within the maximum possible range for a LoRaWAN device. 

Communication is bidirectional, and although firmware upgrades are now part of the standard, LoRaWAN systems are mainly to be thought of as “one way” due to that downlink communication (server to device) is limited and a complex task for larger amount of data (such as firmware updates). 

Suitable applications

LoRaWAN is ideal for battery powered low resolution sensors and simpler types of meters. It could in many cases be seen as a similar but improved radio solution compared to Wireless M-Bus. However, it also important to recognize that the LoRaWAN is a different ecosystem with other requirements around the infrastructure with a much higher dependency on supporting cloud services than Wireless M-Bus.

From indoor sensors to internal meter connectivity modules - products for LoRaWAN

Building an IoT network using LoRaWAN technology requires special solutions from sensors, communication modules and gateways to LoRaWAN network management. The products and devices required for this have been specially developed with a view to meeting the high requirements for energy efficiency and range. In this way, battery-operated sensors can be read remotely with just a few gateways, saving costs and optimizing processes during operation. 

The most important LoRaWAN products include sensors, meter modules - also for retrofitting -  and various accessories such as magnetic antennas. Smart buildings are equipped with LoRaWAN sensors to perform high-precision measurements of temperature, humidity and other values. Processed by the LoRaWAN infrastructure, the data collected in this way can be used to effectively use energy in buildings and to improve the building climate. 

The LoRaWAN sensors are designed for either indoor or outdoor mounting. In order to significantly increase the range of LoRaWAN products and to improve the position of the transmitter in the building, external magnetic base antennas are used.

The great potential of LoRaWAN sensors for smart building management

In addition to metering, the open LoRaWAN standard also enables the collection of other relevant data in an intelligent building. The smart LoRaWAN sensors are also able to record information on movements, heat, noise, distances and air composition. Based on this data and its transmission to the central building management system, internal building processes can be optimized. A vivid example of this is the determination of the CO2 content of the room air, which can improve the ventilation behavior.

Elvaco – all LoRaWAN devices in one place

Elvaco is the competent partner for LoRaWAN technology, which is essential for the realization of the Internet of Things (IoT). We carry a wide range of high-precision, energy-efficient and sustainable sensors and meter modules with LoRaWAN compatibility. 

If you are interested in products from our extensive range, do not hesitate and contact the team of experts from Elvaco. We look forward to supporting you with your request with our expertise in LoRaWAN technology.