LoRawan Technical overview part 1

Welcome to the introductory blog about LoRa. The Internet of Things (IoT) involves different kinds of continuously evolving technology, allowing for many connectivity options for connected devices. Each option has trade-offs between power consumption, bandwidth, and range. The approach is to have connections with highest possible efficiency while retaining key features like security and cost-effectiveness. Power consumption is one of the biggest challenges to overcome. One wireless communications technology is emerging as a much better fit for this approach: LoRa. LoRa is one of the leading wireless communication technologies that enable low bit rate data to be transmitted over long distances with very low power consumption.

WHAT IS LoRa?

LoRa stands for 'Long Range'. It is a modulation technique. It is mainly targeted for IOT networks. It allows communication through radio frequencies. LoRa was developed in France in 2012 and acquired by Semtech, the founding member of the LoRaAlliance which is established in 2015.

WHAT IS LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN is a low-power, wide area networking protocol built on top of the LoRa radio modulation technique. It wirelessly connects devices to the internet and manages communication between end-node devices and network gateways.

WHY LoRaWAN?

You have to understand the different IoT wireless options available to help you know when LoRaWAN is best suited .

One of the known wireless technology is cellular. Cellular networks offer reliable broadband communication supporting various voice calls and video streaming applications. For non-mobile applications where power isn't a factor, cellular is an excellent choice. However, Cellular networks have significant power requirements and indoor coverage partially in industrial environments can be challenging.

Another well-known wireless technology is Bluetooth and BLE(Bluetooth Low Energy). This wireless personal area network (WPAN) is a short-range communication technology with optimization for power consumption (Bluetooth Low Energy) positioned to support small-scale consumer IoT applications. They work quite effectively with very short-range communications.

Wi-Fi is one of the wireless technologies. it has significant limitations with scalability, coverage, and high power consumption. The high energy requirements often make WiFi a poor solution for large networks with battery-operated sensors, such as smart buildings and industrial use. Wi-Fi can make an excellent choice for IoT use cases that don’t use battery-powered devices, don’t require high range, and need to transmit vast amounts of data. As such, it is mainly used in home and business environments for connecting internet routers to devices such as smartphones, computers, smart home gadgets, and security systems.

LoRaWAN is an LPWAN protocol that connects IoT devices using LoRa® wireless technology. LPWANs provide low power, low cost, long-range communication required for large-scale IoT networks. That means long range link with a battery lifetime of decades, minimizing the cost of rolling out a monitoring network by avoiding the need for regular battery replacement cycles. These sensors are simple and designed for small data packets that transmit infrequently, so it’s well-suited for irrigation management, leak detection, logistics and transportation management, and asset or equipment tracking.

It is clear that LoRa wireless technology is going to play a big role in the IoT market. Interconnecting devices to create smart cities, industrial and commercial solutions, whilst reducing the limitations from other wireless technologies such as power and other overheads.

No alt text provided for this image It’s important to understand the different IoT wireless options available to help you know what option(s) you may want to consider for your project. There really isn’t a single best option — it depends on your specific needs.

Thanks for reading!!!