Abstract
IEEE802.15.4g is a low-power wireless standard initially designed for Smart Utility Networks, i.e., for connecting smart meters. IEEE802.15.4g operates at sub-GHz frequencies to offer 2–3× longer communication range compared to its 2.4 GHz counterpart. Although the standard offers 3 PHYs (Frequncy Shift Keying, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing and Offset-Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) with numerous configurations, 2-FSK at 50 kbps is the mandatory and most prevalent radio setting used. This article looks at whether IEEE802.15.4g can be used to provide connectivity for outdoor deployments. We conduct range measurements using the totality of the standard (all modulations with all further parametrization) in the 863–870 MHz band, within four scenarios which we believe cover most low-power wireless outdoor applications: line of sight, smart agriculture, urban canyon, and smart metering. We show that there are radio settings that outperform the “2-FSK at 50 kbps” base setting in terms of range, throughput and reliability. Results show that highly reliable communications with data rates up to 800 kbps can be achieved in urban environments at 540 m between nodes, and the longest useful radio link is obtained at 779 m. We discuss how IEEE802.15.4g can be used for outdoor operation, and reduce the number of repeater nodes that need to be placed compared to a 2.4 GHz solution.
Highlights
Low-power wireless mesh networks drastically decrease the cost of implementing monitoring/control systems, enabling a wide range of applications in the industrial, environmental and urban context
We show that there are radio settings that outperform the “2-Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) at 50 kbps” base setting in terms of range, throughput and reliability
Results show that highly reliable communications with data rates up to 800 kbps can be achieved in urban environments at 540 m between nodes, and the longest useful radio link is obtained at 779 m
Summary
Low-power wireless mesh (sensor) networks drastically decrease the cost of implementing monitoring/control systems, enabling a wide range of applications in the industrial, environmental and urban context. Wireless mesh networks are used over a wide spectrum of environmental observation applications, including smart agriculture [1], fire monitoring [2], seismic activity logging [3], and snow-pack monitoring [4]. In these applications and many others, the IEEE802.15.4 standard is often used to provide connectivity between sensor nodes. With IEEE802.15.4 at 2.4 GHz, radio links are typically 100 m, sometimes up to 300 m, but with a range that drastically decreases when obstacles (such as trees) are between the nodes
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