Improving Energy-Efficiency In Lora Networks Thanks to a Holistic Transmission Model

In the constantly evolving world of wireless sensor networks, low-power wide area network (LPWANs) technologies are well suited to deal with Internet of Things (IoT) systems deployed in environments where energy resources are limited. These IoT systems rely on sensors that need to transmit data over long distances. Managing the batteries of these devices poses major challenges in terms of longevity and replacement costs. In order to optimize the durability of these nodes and maximize their energy efficiency, their energy consumption must be accurately modeled. This paper proposes a new energy consumption model for LoRa/LoRaWAN nodes, focusing specifically on the energy consumed during point-to-point transmissions. This holistic model takes into account essential parameters, such as the characteristics of the propagation medium in urban environments, the characteristics of LoRa frames, the positions of transmitters and receivers, and the LoRa reception sensitivity, expressed as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which in turn depends on the probability of error and the spreading factor (SF).