Signal Performance of LoRa‐Based Network for Efficient IoT Applications
TL;DR
A 5 dBi antenna has enhanced the signal strength up to −85.9 dBm in outdoor environments and −94.61 dBm in indoor environments, highlighting the significance of quantified antenna‐related information in design guidelines for optimizing LoRa network deployments in densely populated IoT environments.
Abstract
IoT applications have revolutionized internet utilization to facilitate several aspects of human life. However, it requires high energy efficiency from the sensor nodes, capable of providing corresponding signals over long distances. This motivates the development of LoRa technology aimed at these requirements. The current limitations of LoRa's location and environment should also be considered. Therefore, this paper seeks to analyze the performance of received signal strength and signal quality in both outdoor and indoor environments. LoRa signal measurements are performed by placing the TTGO‐ESP32‐LoRa OLED at various heights and testing with various antennas at the receiver in an outdoor environment. The signal measurement is conducted in the level 3 hostel building at UniKL BMI, Selangor, Malaysia, for indoor environments. The measured data highlighted that the quality of a LoRa network depends on the distance and height at which the signal is transmitted, the antenna selection, and the path loss caused by structural elements. Better outdoor coverage can be improved by increasing the height of the transmitter for both outdoor and indoor environments. This paper highlights that a 5 dBi antenna has enhanced the signal strength up to −85.9 dBm in outdoor environments and −94.61 dBm in indoor environments. These findings underscore the significance of quantified antenna‐related information in design guidelines for optimizing LoRa network deployments in densely populated IoT environments.