A Study of Different Antenna Models on the Performance of UAV-Based LoRa Communication Network Using Taguchi and ANOVA Methods

In a UAV-based LoRa communication network, one critical aspect that requires careful consideration is the weight applied to the UAV, which can be affected by the choice of antenna and the size of the power source utilized to operate the LoRa device. Therefore, in this study, the effects of different antenna models, transmitting powers (TP), and surrounding temperatures on the performance of LoRa are investigated under varying conditions. The other contributions of the paper include investigating the optimum LoRa configuration under different test scenarios and the correlation between TP and power consumption. Based on the Taguchi and ANOVA analysis, the optimum LoRa configuration in terms of packet delivery rate (PDR) for a 1 km direct line-of-sight scenario is TP = 15 dBm, antenna model = 5 dBi antenna, and surrounding temperature = 34°C. With the optimum setting, the power consumption was reduced to approximately 168.4 mW, and 3789 times more data transmission can be achieved compared to the default parameter. Therefore, a smaller power source can prolong the UAV flight time.