The term LoRaWAN stands for Long Range Wide Area Network and refers to a long-range, energy-efficient radio network.
LoRaWAN is primarily designed for wireless, battery-operated systems and serves as a complement to traditional mobile networks.
Imagine you want to capture the number of visitors at all entrances in a department store. Retrofitting all the doors with wiring would represent an enormous effort. With LoRaWAN, you use our battery-operated people counters and centrally deploy a LoRaWAN gateway. All counters connect to this gateway. The gateway then forwards the data through your router to our cloud services.
Due to its high range and low energy consumption, wireless technology is particularly suitable for information and data transmission in the so-called Internet of Things (Internet of Things – IoT). The intelligent networking of work and everyday objects forms the basis for modern cities of the future. The global LoRaWAN network is thus an important building block for the digitization of processes and the conception of Smart Cities.
Excursus: The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the networking of objects via the Internet. Intelligent devices and machines can communicate with each other over the network and receive or transmit data. This includes, for example, smart home solutions, such as controlling home lighting via an app.
There is a wide range of sensors for the use of this radio technology: Occupancy display for desks, occupancy display for rooms (meeting rooms), CO2 sensors, people counters, temperature meters, and much more....
A special advantage of data transmission with LoRaWAN is the high radio range: In built-up urban areas, data transmission works over a distance of up to 2 km, while in rural areas, a radio range of up to 15 km and more is possible. LoRaWAN also offers very good building penetration and reaches down to basements or underground garages.
In contrast to other radio technologies (e.g., WLAN or Bluetooth), the energy consumption is very low. This is mainly due to the small data volumes and long transmission times.This has a correspondingly positive effect on the battery life of the end devices, which can last up to 10 years.
However, the actual energy consumption ultimately depends on the chosen end device. In this context, three device classes are distinguished:
- Class A: LoRaWAN devices of this class are particularly energy-efficient and are suitable for applications in the IoT. They remain permanently in energy-saving mode and communicate only in randomly controlled time windows. These can be generated, for example, by a change in state – such as exceeding a threshold.
- Class B: In this device class, a predefined time window can be set during which the LoRaWAN module wakes up from sleep mode and transmits or receives data.
- Class C: These devices are in a continuous receiving mode and can receive and send information at any time. However, they also belong to the devices with the highest energy consumption and are therefore better suited for systems with external power supply.
Good to know: All communication from the sensor to the network server is encrypted. Thus, data transmission with LoRaWAN is extremely secure.
LoRaWAN and Smart Cities: Application Examples
The LoRa radio technology is a central component for the development of smart cities. The "Smart Cities" concept aims to make areas such as mobility, energy, or public safety more efficient and environmentally friendly. This is intended to improve the quality of life in urban areas.
The energy-saving and long-range LoRaWAN network opens up numerous possibilities for new IoT applications of all kinds – whether in the public sector, in industry and agriculture, or for private purposes. Below, we have gathered a few application examples:
- Traffic control through an intelligent traffic light system. Using sensors in vehicles, smooth traffic flow can be ensured without long delays.
- Monitoring air quality and room climate in offices, educational institutions, or event spaces. This can enhance concentration and health while optimizing energy consumption in the building.
- Determination of soil moisture, temperature, or precipitation amounts in agricultural operations. By measuring these values, immediate action can be taken, such as adjusting irrigation.
- Early detection of malfunctions or failures in machines. This is particularly advantageous in industrial and production facilities. For example, an alarm can be set as soon as certain threshold values are exceeded or the utilization of the machines is too high.
- Level sensors for waste containers.
Source: IKB and eastek