2. LoRaWAN

What is LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN, which stands for Long Range Wide Area Network, is a wireless communication protocol specifically designed for long-range, low-power IoT devices. It is built on top of the LoRa physical layer technology, which enables long-range communication while consuming minimal power.

Key features and concepts related to LoRaWAN

• Long Range: LoRaWAN operates in the sub-GHz frequency bands, typically 868 MHz in Europe and 915 MHz in North America. This allows for long-range communication, with coverage that can extend over various kilometers in rural areas and several hundred meters in urban environments.

• Low Power Consumption: LoRaWAN is designed to operate with low power consumption, making it suitable for battery-powered devices. The devices can transmit data while consuming very little power, allowing for long battery life.

• Star-of-Stars Topology: LoRaWAN uses a star-of-stars network topology, where individual IoT devices (called “end nodes” or “sensors”) communicate with one or more gateways. The gateways act as intermediaries, relaying messages between the end nodes and a central network server.

• Bidirectional Communication: LoRaWAN supports both uplink and downlink communication. The end nodes can send data to the network server (uplink), and the network server can send commands or data back to the end nodes (downlink). This enables two-way communication between IoT devices and the server.

• Class Types: LoRaWAN defines different device classes to cater to various use cases and power requirements. Class A devices are the most common and have the lowest power consumption, as they only listen for downlink messages immediately after sending an uplink message. Class B and Class C devices have additional listening windows for downlink messages, with Class C devices having the least power-saving features.

• Security: LoRaWAN incorporates several security measures to protect the data transmitted over the network. It uses end-to-end encryption and message integrity checks to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data. It also supports device authentication and mutual authentication between devices and the network server.