Study and evaluation of the LR-FHSS technology
Tutor / Supervisor
Student
Heer Salva, Bartomeu
Document type
Bachelor thesis
Date
2024
rights
Restricted access - confidentiality agreement
Publisher
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
UPCommons
Abstract
The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as one of the most revolutionary technologies of the last decades. It has transformed the networking paradigm, pushing existing commu- nication technologies such as cellular networks and Wi-Fi to their limits and necessitating their adaptation. Additionally, IoT has introduced new standards, notably those as low power and short link range, or those categorized as Low Power Wide Area Networks (LP- WANs). Among the technologies within LPWANs, this project focuses on the technique Long- Range - Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (LR-FHSS), a physical layer extension of the well-known LoRaWAN protocol. LR-FHSS leverages frequency hopping techniques to achieve wider link range, at low bit rates and low power consumption. The primary focus of this study is on the low-power characteristics of LR-FHSS, with a comprehensive analysis of the energy consumption of end-devices during network trans- missions. This parameter is crucial in long-range IoT scenarios, particularly for use cases where end-devices lack access to a wired power supply and rely on batteries that need to last for years without replacement or recharging. Additionally, we will demonstrate the deployment of the network with all the elements involved in the communications, which remains a complex task in the current landscape. Our study involves laboratory measurements and supplementary calculations using spe- cific equations to determine parameters under various configurations and calculate the average current consumption. Subsequently, these values will be used to calculate and analyze the battery lifetime of the end-device and the energy cost of data transmission, where the results are presented in graphs comparing the data rates of LR-FHSS and with some of LoRa, the default physical layer protocol of LoRaWAN.
