Evaluación del rango de transmisión de LoRa para redes de sensores inalámbricos en un ambiente rural de gran extensión y baja densidad de árboles

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept has not been carried out in a convincing manner due to still technological limitations. Currently, different types of networks are been developed to meet the requirements of the IoT. Among them, there is the low-power wide-area network (LPWAN). The LoRaWAN network stands out among the LPWAN networks and is one of the most suitable technologies for the IoT. The LoRa modulation uses a chirp spread spectrum technique that offers great resistance to interference, a good communication link budget and low power consumption. This document focuses on evaluating the performance of LoRa technology in an open rural environment. This type of environment is suitable for applications such as smart agriculture. The Irquis farm, located in the province of Azuay, Ecuador, is taken as the study area. By using the LoRa 900 evaluation kit from Microchip, a measurement set is carried out. With the data collected in the measurements, we propose an empirical model of trajectory losses based on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI). The results show that with a gateway placed at 10 m in height, it is possible to have coverage throughout the all farm. The farthest point is around 1000 m from the gateway. It was found that the RSSI is affected not only by the distance but by the obstacles that are between the node and the gateway. It is important to place the gateway at an appropriate height.