Design of a Low-Cost Gateway with LoRa Technology Serving Multiple Devices

The growing demand for scalability and efficiency in Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) presents significant challenges, particularly due to the increasing number of connected devices and the inherent limitations of the ALOHA protocol, which is widely used in LoRaWAN networks. In this context, this work proposes the design and development of a low-cost dual-channel gateway tailored for Internet of Things (IoT) networks based on LoRa technology. To address the aforementioned challenges, this study explores approaches such as channel activity detection (CAD) and dynamic channel allocation, aiming to reduce collisions and optimize spectrum utilization. Experimental tests were conducted in environments subject to interference from coexisting networks to evaluate the performance of the proposed gateway. The results demonstrated significant improvements in packet delivery rate (PDR) and loss reduction, with PDR exceeding 94% for spreading factors (SFs) ranging from SF7 to SF12. In comparison, the single-channel gateway operating under the same conditions achieved a PDR between 80% and 85%. These results highlight the feasibility of the dual-channel gateway for small- and medium-scale IoT applications in scenarios with multiple coexisting networks.