Modeling LoRa Communications in Estuaries for IoT Environmental Monitoring Systems

Low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs) are extending beyond the conventional terrestrial domain. Coastal zones, rivers, and wetlands, among others, nowadays common deployment settings for Internet-of-Things nodes where communication technologies such as Long Range (LoRa) becoming popular. In this article, we investigate large-scale fading dynamics of LoRa line-of-sight (LoS) links deployed over an estuary with characteristic intertidal considering both shore-to-shore (S2S) shore-to-vessel (S2V) communications. We propose a novel methodology path-loss prediction which captures: 1) spatial; 2) temporal; 3) physical features RF signal interaction environmental dynamics, integrating those into two-ray propagation model. To purpose, resort to precise hydrodynamic modeling estuary, including specific terrain profile (bathymetry) at reflection point. These aspects key accounting reflecting surface varying altitude permittivity function tide. Experimental measurements using devices operating in 868-MHz band show major trends received power agreement methodology’s predictions.