Terminology » LoRaWAN Range Specification & its calculation

LoRaWAN Range Specification & its calculation

lorawan range

Range: It is the maximum distance between end device (i.e. node) and gateway up to which communication is still reliable.

Factors Affecting Range in LoRaWAN

  • Spreading Factor (SF) : Higher SF will have longer range compared to lower SF.
  • Frequency Band : Sub-GHz (i.e. 868/915 MHz) will support long ranhe compared to higher frequencies.
  • Antenna Height/Gain : Higher gain of antenna and placement on rooftops will offer better range.
  • Environment : Urban vs. rural drastically changes propagation.
  • Transmit power : Typically limited by regulation e.g. EU has 14 dBm where as US it is 20 dBm.

LoRaWAN Range Calculation

  • It is determined by link budget by considering following parameters which include transmit power, receiver sensitivity, path loss, antenna gains (Gt, Gr).
  • Range equals distance at which received signal power is greater than and equal to receiver sensivity.
  • Following formulas are used in LoRaWAN Range calculation

Formula-1 : Rx_Power = Tx_Power + Tx_antenna_gain - Tx_connector_loss + Rx_antenna_gain - Rx_connector_loss

Formula-2 : Rx_Sensitivity = -174 + 10*log(BW) + SNR_limit + Noise_Figure

Formula-3 : Link Budget = Tx_Power - Rx_Sensitivity

=> Rx_Power > Rx_Sensitivity

Typical Values of LoRaWAN Range

EnvironmentRangeApplication
Urban (dense buildings)2-5 KmHeavy multipath fading, walls, interference
Suburban/Semi-rural5-15 KmFewer obstructions, still some buildings and foliage.
Rural / Open field (line of sight)15–30 kmGateway on tower or hill, clear LOS.
Extreme (ideal conditions, high SF, high gain antennas)Up to 100 km demonstrated in experiments.Balloon tests, mountain-to-mountain communication.
  • Practically, LoRaWAN can deliver 500 meters range indoors, 2 Km outdoors with antenna placement on a house roof and greater than 10 Km outdoors with antenna placement on top of a high altitude buildings.

Conclusion: LoRaWAN range is determined by link budget including Tx power, path loss and Rx sensitivity. The key enablers to achieve the good range in LoRaWAN system require high spreading factor, low noise figure and good antenna placement.