Breaking away the myth of low-power wide-area network LoRaWAN

The rapid rise of LoRa and LoRaWAN has attracted global attention, but many people still have a lot of myths about LoRa and LoRaWAN. For this, the Electronic Design website summarizes several common misunderstandings and explains them:

LoRa is LoRaWAN: LoRaWAN is used to define the communication protocol and system architecture of the network, and LoRa is the physical wireless layer that provides long-distance communication links. The LoRaWAN protocol and network architecture directly impacts node battery life, network capacity, quality of service, security, and various network applications. LoRa is a technology that converts data into electromagnetic waves. The transmission method used is called "Chirp Spread Spectrum".

Second, the LoRa signal transmission can not exceed 10 kilometers: The transmission range of the LoRaWAN network is affected by many factors, such as indoor outdoor gates, payload of messages, and antennas used. On average, the urban environment with outdoor gateways can be expected to cover 2 to 3 kilometers, and the rural areas can reach 5 to 7 kilometers, and in some cases even up to 702 kilometers.

LoRa's transmission range is related to the line-of-sight of the radio. The LoRa device can be placed on the roof or the top of the mountain to maximize the transmission range. Others such as the antenna gain can also affect the transmission range.

Third, LoRa nodes can only be used to transmit data: Supporting two-way communication is one of the main features of LoRaWAN. Terminals such as sensors can send information such as location, occupancy, and data to the network and receive messages from the network.

4. LoRa is not safe enough: wireless connection technology pays great attention to security. The low-power linear frequency modulation spread spectrum technology signal itself is very difficult to detect and intercept. In addition, LoRaWA has two layers of security mechanism, one layer for network and one layer. Then used for the application. Network security ensures the reliability of nodes within the network, and application-level security mechanisms ensure that network operators cannot access end-user application data.

5. LoRaWAN can only be used to monitor Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors: LoRaWAN applications are not limited to monitoring and warning messages, and its core technology architecture and key features have been extended to emerging applications in multiple industries, such as smart cities and industrial goods. Networking, manufacturing, and many other vertical industries.

Sixth, tracking the LoRa node must add GPS receiver: LoRaWAN can be localized without GPS, which is especially useful for tracking assets and sensors, because it is very power-saving, LoRaWAN sensor uses the difference time difference (DifferenTIal TIme Of Arrival) technology to determine the nearest city The approximate location of the street to support the tracking application.

The characteristic of LoRaWAN is that the battery life is long, and the device will enter deep sleep mode when the message is not transmitted, which greatly prolongs the charging cycle. Transferring data through LoRaWAN is slow, so don't expect to use this type of network to send large files such as music, movies or images. LoRaWAN is suitable for sensors with minimal data packets for warning, triggering and monitoring purposes.

Those interested in joining LoRaWAN can use the open free network The Things Network, or choose a paid network that provides a dedicated network or bandwidth, a larger storage application server, and additional privacy and security, software licensing options.