Abstract
The paper deals with the localization in a low-power wide-area-network (LPWAN) operating long-range wide-area-network (LoRaWAN) technology. The LoRaWAN is, today, one of the most widely used connectivity-enabling technologies for the battery-powered smart devices employed in a broad range of applications. Many of these applications either require or can benefit from the availability of geolocation information. The use of global positioning system (GPS) technology is restrained by the bad propagation of the signal when the device is hidden indoors, and by energy consumption such a receiver would require. Therefore, this paper focuses on an alternative solution implying the use of the information readily available in the LoRaWAN network and application of the time difference of arrival (TDoA) method for the passive geolocation of end-devices in the network. First, the limits of geolocation services in networks that use narrow-band communication channels are discussed, as well as the relevant challenges faced by the TDoA approach. Then, we select five classic TDoA algorithms and evaluate their performance using simulation. Based on these results, we select the two providing the best accuracy (i.e., Chan’s and Foy’s). These algorithms were tested by the field measurements, using the specially designed low-cost gateways and test devices to estimate their real-life performance.
Highlights
With the increase of interest in the internet of things (IoT) devices, which aim to simplify people’s daily routines, diverse requirements such as required connectivity throughput and power supply arise.Since the IoT concept covers devices with maximum data rates ranging from units of bits to tens of megabits per second, communication distance and device lifetime may vary as well [1]
One of the perspective approaches to address this challenge, the utility and performance of which we investigate in this study, is to use time difference of arrival (TDoA) method for passive geolocation of the end-devices in the network based on the information already available in a long-range wide-area-network (LoRaWAN) network
We comprehensively discussed the use of TDoA-based localization in LoRaWAN networks
Summary
Since the IoT concept covers devices with maximum data rates ranging from units of bits to tens of megabits per second, communication distance and device lifetime may vary as well [1]. The widely used short-range radio technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) are not adapted to scenarios that require transmission over long distances (hundreds of meters or more). Cellular communication solutions (mobile networks—3G, 4G, and others) can provide greater coverage but are very energy-consuming. The requirements of the newly developed IoT applications have led to the emergence of a new wireless technology class—low-power wide-area-networks (LPWANs) are low-power (LP) networks with extensive geographic coverage (WAN) characterized by a low bit rate. Devices that implement the protocols, that meet these requirements, often have to be inexpensive and feature a long battery lifetime [2]
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