Multi-Layered Energy Efficiency in LoRa-WAN Networks: A Tutorial

Imane Cheikh,Essaid Sabir,Sébastien Roy,Mohamed Sadik,Rachid Aouami

doi:10.1109/access.2021.3140107

Imane Cheikh, Essaid Sabir + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2021.3140107

Copy DOI

Abstract

Emerging Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications are driving increasing demand for advanced services in wireless networks, prompting the development of new technologies to address the associated challenges. Energy efficiency of IoT standards is a key feature targeted by research efforts and industrial activities, leading to an extensive and growing number of innovative solutions. Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) define a class of wireless communication technologies seen as highly relevant for future IoT development given its long communication range, low-cost devices and interesting energy management. Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) is acknowledged to be the dominant IoT communication technology. It has allowed broad deployment and unlocked new IoT applications such as smart cities, asset tracking, etc. This article provides a comprehensive tutorial on the LoRa standard, and surveys existing solutions, hot topics and future insights for building energy efficient IoT infrastructures and IoT devices. Indeed, energy efficiency is one of the key factors for successful and sustainable deployments of IoT applications. More precisely, this article discusses how to meet LoRa/LoRaWAN energy efficiency across physical layer, medium access control layer, and network layer. Subsequently, extensive pioneering solutions from related literature are compared and assessed. Finally, insightful conclusions are drawn, and open problems are listed at the end of this article.

Highlights

The results show that the proposed systems can improve the overall performance of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) networks, but the nodes use their maximum transmission power, which is an area for future improvement of the proposed schemes in order to reduce the nodes’ energy consumption
The results demonstrate the benefits of Static Context Header Compression (SCHC), including a significant improvement in reliability for Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) links operating at lower data rates
This paper provides a comprehensive tutorial on LoRaWAN networks

Summary

INTRODUCTION

I. Cheikh et al.: Multi-Layered Energy Efficiency in LoRa-WAN Networks: Tutorial wide array of ad hoc wireless standards designed for wireless sensor networks, i.e. low-cost, ultra low-power devices, and characterized by low data rates and low duty cycle. Cheikh et al.: Multi-Layered Energy Efficiency in LoRa-WAN Networks: Tutorial wide array of ad hoc wireless standards designed for wireless sensor networks, i.e. low-cost, ultra low-power devices, and characterized by low data rates and low duty cycle The focus in this case is on energy efficiency and very simple transceivers. Low power wide area networks provide many solutions offering low cost technology, low power consumption and satisfactory connectivity to IoT devices. We review existing solutions and discuss hot topics related to energy efficiency at the physical (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), and network (NET) layers of the LoRa standard.

OVERVIEW OF LPWA

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT MAC LAYER

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT NET LAYER

HOT TOPICS AND NEW INSIGHTS

Findings

CONCLUSION