Introduction
As industries search for economical solutions with extended reach and device support, connectivity that fulfills these conditions has become a necessity. Such a demand has led to the emergence of LPWAN (Low-Power Wide Area Network) and LoRaWAN technology. LoRaWAN is a low-power wide area network (LPWAN) protocol aimed at allowing devices to connect wirelessly over the great distances to the Internet. Its main characteristics — long distance coverage and minimal power usage — are well suited with the wireless communication requirements of IoT devices which are basically battery operated.
What is LoRaWAN?
LoRaWAN is a type of wireless communication technology that falls under the umbrella of LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network). This means it’s designed to use minimal power while enabling long-range transmission, making it ideal for large-scale IoT applications. Essentially, LoRaWAN uses LoRa modulation technology, which is a specific way of implementing LPWAN.
LoRa, at its core, is a modulation technique at the physical layer that employs Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) technology to encode information. It specifies various communication settings, including bandwidth, transmission frequency, coding rate, and spreading factor. Building on LoRa, LoRaWAN technology defines the protocol for communication between IoT end node devices and network gateways, helping to seamlessly connect devices to the Internet.
LoRaWAN Classes
Class A
Class A operates as an asynchronous system where end nodes can broadcast messages to the gateway whenever necessary and then enter an inactive state until the next transmission. This setup efficiently utilizes time slots in a multi-channel system
Class B
A method for sending messages to battery-powered nodes, where the gateway emits a beacon every 128 seconds. This beacon enables all LoRaWAN base stations to sync their time using GPS satellite signals.
Class C
Enables nodes to constantly listen and transmit downlink messages at any time. This class is usually employed in AC-powered applications since it demands considerable energy to keep the node fully active and the receiver always operational.
How LoRaWAN Works
LoRa modulation encodes data into wireless signals using a technique called chirp spread spectrum. By increasing the linear frequency modulation rate, the signal spreads over multiple frequency ranges, allowing it to travel longer distances without much interference. LoRa employs a proprietary spread-spectrum modulation based on this chirp technology. For instance, devices close to the gateway use a lower spreading factor to transmit data quickly due to their proximity, while devices farther away use a higher spreading factor to extend the signal range, even though this slows down the transmission speed.
IoT devices (such as sensors) in the LoRaWAN network collect data periodically or on demand. These devices use the built-in LoRa module and LoRa modulation technology to wirelessly transmit the collected data to a nearby LoRaWAN gateway, which then uploads the data to the LoRaWAN network server. After deduplication and verification of the data, and processing of functions such as device network access verification and identity authentication, the data will be forwarded to the application server, which is usually a user-customized system, to facilitate analysis and storage of the received data, and make corresponding processing such as initiating alarms and generating reports.
Key Features and Benefits of LoRaWAN
Long Range and Coverage:
LoRa modulation technology under LoRaWAN allows the transmission range of several kilometers, up to tens of kilometers. In most cases, LoRaWAN achieves about 2-5 km range in a city but in the open rural area it can go beyond 15km.
Low Power Consumption:
Using LoRaWAN systems is accompanied with low energy consumption, therefore making these systems preferable for low power or battery powered devices. This implies that these devices do not require replacement batteries after every few months for years, a feature that is important for remote monitoring sensors and asset trackers located in areas that are hard to access.
Scalability:
A single LoRaWAN gateway is able to simultaneously handle thousands of devices, thus supporting vast connections. By using the adaptive data rate (ADR) function, LoRaWAN network also known as low power wide area network resource management is aimed at communication between devices in a more efficient way.
Cost-efficiency Hardware:
Starting a LoRaWAN network is low cost as it does not require many facilities. Open source infrastructure and software resources make it more ecomonical to adopt.
Global Connectivity:
LoRaWAN is open to every user as stated by the LoRaWAN Alliance. Devices and networks may operate in harmony without a need for a common provider, thus offering better cross brand and cross industry integration, and more possibilities in applying them.
Common Use Cases of LoRaWAN
1. Smart City
LoRaWAN technology can help in connecting the different IoT devices, sensors, smart meters and other devices present in smart cities by providing a large area network. IoT devices and network can be incorporated into the existing infrastructure of cities in a way that facilitates automation of processes and supervision and control of systems which in turn leads to lowering of operational costs. Here are some ideas that can be executed in smart cities:
- Smart Street Lighting: Control, manage and monitor city street lights from a wide LoRaWAN network with the ability to regulate brightness based on traffic flow and external lighting to cut down energy costs.
- Parking Management: LoRaWAN sensors track the occupancy of parking spaces and inform drivers the availability of parking spaces, thereby easing the parking problems and traffic flow.
- Air Quality Monitoring: Employ LoRaWAN sensors to monitor the concentration of various pollutants in the atmosphere across the city with an aim of controlling pollution.
2. Smart Agriculture and Its Modern Tools
Agricultural operations are adapting the use of IoT and outdoor LoRaWAN applications in the specific areas of intelligent agriculture. Using the LoRaWAN network, sensors that communicate in real time all the data involving crop, animal husbandry, equipment, physical environment etc., enabling the farmer to make appropriate changes in production levels and as such improves production quality.
3. Industrial Internet of Things
LoRaWAN technology is also effectively incorporated in industrial operational settings. Automated monitoring, security, and asset management allow for quicker responses from the operators. The Logistics and smart warehousing arena for example, the LoRaWAN networks are better than before in providing wider coverage and less interfered connections.
4. Utilities and Smart Metering
Smart meters (for electricity, water, etc.) enable remote and real-time monitoring, reducing errors and improving efficiency.
5. Healthcare and Wearables
LoRaWAN-based healthcare wearables are designed to continuously and reliably monitor patients in hospitals, elderly care residents, or anyone needing real-time monitoring of vital signs.
LoRaWAN Network Architecture
1. Public and Private LoRaWAN Networks
A Public LoRaWAN Network is a LoRaWAN Network owned by a third party, mostly a telecom operator or a network service provider, that expenses a fee from users connecting devices to the network. A Private LoRaWAN Network is a network that an individual and or an enterprise builds and operates and mainly, controlled by them, and often geographically limited in area. This kind of connectivity often has better data security and privacy provisions.
2. Hybrid Models
The principles of a private and public LoRaWAN can be fitted together such that the user’s needs for comfort in a private network and coverage are met through a public network but more secured. Users can choose either the public network or the private network and even both at the same time depending on the situation.
3. Network Deployment
Evaluate the area coverage, achievable data rate and electric power expended by the LoRaWAN networks, on a scope dictated by project requirements. After establishing the number of gateways needed within the coverage area and the deployment sites, construct the network topology (typically a star-of-stars topology). Choose and mount the suitable LoRaWAN access points and other devices. After the hardware deployment is completed, set the parameters of the gateways, configure the network server, and begin testing and verification. Once the project deployment is accomplished, perform monitoring and maintenance of the equipment on a regular basis.
LoRaWAN Security Features
End-to-End Encryption
End-to-end encryption protects the entire transmission from device to application server. It usually has two layers of encryption mechanism, LoRaWAN’s network layer encryption and application layer encryption. The above two encryption techniques produce two different keys NwkSKey and AppSKey. This means that all the information will be encrypted whilst being transmitted from the moment the device sends data until the data reaches the application server. Therefore, even if the gateway or intermediate network service provider receives the data packet, they will not be able to see or change the data.
Device Authentication
LoRaWAN leverages a very strict device authentication mechanism so as not to allow any unauthorized devices into the network. Joining the LoRaWAN network has two main approaches.
OTAA (Over-the-Air Activation)
This option is the safest from all attacks. Whenever, a device connects to a LoRaWAN network, a new key pair (a network session key NwkSKey and an application session key AppSKey) is formulated. These keys are created based on the DevEUI of the device and the AppKey. Using OTAA, every time a device connects to the network, the device’s identity is verified, and in this manner, it is confirmed that no rogue device is allowed on the network.
ABP (Activation by Personalization)
In this technique, the keys of the device are ready before the deployment of the device. ABP does not require the keys to be generated afresh but fixed and unable to change limitations of the security offered makes it inferior to OTAA.
It does not matter if it is OTAA or ABP, the device authentication mechanisms of LoRaWAN prevents any undesired communication into the network from unauthenticated devices.
Key Management
Encryption is employed in all the interactions between devices and servers and such encryption processes are implemented using different keys. There are primarily three key management features employed by LoRaWAN network.
- AppKey is used in the generation of session keys in an OTAA process. When a user device first joins the network, this key helps create a network session key and an application session key.
- NwkSKey is the key that helps to encrypt communication data between the devices and the network servers.
- AppSKey is the key that encrypts the application data between devices and application servers.
It should be noted that the key management in LoRaWAN has to accomplish the following requirements:
- Uniqueness: Each device has its own key which is not the same with other devices therefore device communication will not be interfered by another devices.
- Key update: The OTAA mechanism helps devices create new keys whenever they join a new network and this minimizes the risks posed by the use of static keys for extended periods.
- Key storage security: Devices, gateways and servers should safeguard these keys effectively because an attacker may wish to obtain these keys to decrypt the information being transmitted.
LoRaWAN vs. Other IoT Protocols
LoRaWAN vs. NB-IoT
Coverage: LoRaWAN offers an extended communication range, thus most advantageous in rural or outback regions where the range can be up to 15 kilometers. In contrast, NB-IoT has a limited coverage radius of about 10 kilometers but is more effective in cities and environments with many structures.
Power Consumption: The power consumption of LoRaWAN is quite low therefore the batteries of devices can last for a number of years which is ideal for the placement of such devices for long periods. NB-IoT is also significantly energy efficient but its battery life is shorter owing to the amount of data being transmitted.
Application scenarios: Due to long range and low data transmission, LoRaWAN fits well in application use cases such as smart farming, environmental monitoring and many more. On the other hand NB IoT is more applicable in cases where data volume is intensive and signal penetration is deep such as smart meters and smart city solutions.
LoRaWAN vs. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
Range: The distance of communication via LoRaWAN can run into several kilometers while that of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth ranges between a few meters to about a hundred meters at most.
Battery Durability: Because of the low transmission power and a very low volume of data that is transmitted by LoRaWAN, the battery of the working device can be long enough to withstand several years of active use. On the contrary, devices that employ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies include more power consumptions and thus the devices have to be charged or replaced within a period of time.
Data Throughput: LoRaWAN is designed for low data rate transmission and its throughput is limited to only a few packets of data even when latency is not an issue, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies achieve higher data throughput and can therefore be applied in contexts where high volumes of data are transmitted.
Choosing the Right LoRaWAN Products and Solutions
Understanding Your Needs:
In order to reap the maximum benefits of deploying a LoRaWAN infrastructure, the following considerations have to be taken into account.
- Range: Although LoRaWAN can support wireless coverage over a long range, the quality of the signal is limited by the geographical terrain and buildings. It would be important to consider the specific deployment site and plan for the arrangement of the gateway.
- Battery Life: Think of how long you expect your LoRaWAN device to work and pick a device whose battery life and power operating consumption appears to be okay.
- Data Throughput: Determine if you are interested in simple and infrequent data transmission or the opposite, a lot of data transmitted frequently. LoRaWAN is designed for use in environments where data transmission is not so high.
- Cost-Effective Approach: There is a very significant cost advantage for the LoRaWAN network when it is rolled out over a wide geographical area. On the other hand, based on the project size and the project inputs such as equipment cost, cost of gateways and network maintenance, select the right option.
- Scalability: If your initiative calls for a wide array of device connectivity, or you prefer to put up device connectivity easily in the years to come, then LoRaWAN is the most appropriate option.
Types of LoRaWAN Devices:
LoRaWAN devices come in various forms such as gateways, sensors, tags, modules, etc. The latest MST01 LoRaWAN® Temperature and Humidity Sensor by Minew, utilizes LoRaWAN technology to go beyond the constraints posed by coverage area with traditional sensors and even lower the power consumption of the device. This sensor is of great importance in managing smart warehouse logistics and transport systems.
Top LoRaWAN Vendors:
More suppliers in the IoT industry are coming up with LoRaWAN products and solutions. Minew is one of the leading companies in this area, specializing in IoT hardware solutions and boasting over 200 patents and certificates of originality. You can work with Minew to create a bespoke IoT hardware solution to your requirements.
The Future of LoRaWAN
1. Emerging Applications: With the enhancement of satellite communication, LoRaWAN can use sensor monitoring in applications like smoke detection in non-visible forest areas or temperature detection on ocean buoys etc. Data coming from LoRaWAN sensors as interactions occur, smart cities will be able to implement effective transport management strategies.
2. LoRaWAN and 5G: Solutions for industrial automation incorporate 5G to enable remote operation of equipment using data from LoRaWAN sensors.
3. LoRaWAN in Global IoT Ecosystem: The application market of LoRaWAN technology is showing dramatic growth. It is predicted that by 2030 the global LoRa and LoRaWAN IoT market will expand to US$48.4 billion, with a market growth rate of 36.8% during the forecast period. The IoT market indeed appreciates the technology due to its very many advantages.
Conclusion: Is LoRaWAN Right for You?
The benefits of the LoRaWAN technology are clear. It’s no longer a necessity to densely deploy gateways to receive signals from far-placed devices. LoRaWAN is able to handle the demands of your project easily and at a very reasonable expense. Powered by the LoRaWAN network, you can also easily access data to help you make strategic decisions that will enhance the overall productivity of the project and business. In the IoT market, the volume of products and specialized services based on the LoRaWAN technology is steadily increasing