Modeling the Energy Consumption of LoRaWAN in ns-3 Based on Real World Measurements

Abstract

LPWAN technologies are defined by their focus on extended coverage while maintaining energy efficiency, at the expense of data throughput. In this research we enable the analysis of LoRa, a key LPWAN technology, in terms of energy efficiency. We perform real-world measurements of a standard LoRa chip and use the results to develop an energy consumption module in ns-3. Our contributions are an analysis of the energy consumption of different states in a LoRa transmission by the SX1272, the LoRa transceiver that is used in most common LoRaWAN devices, beyond what is provided in the datasheet, and an energy consumption module for use in three of the LoRaWAN ns-3 modules described in research, enabling more accurate energy consumption analysis of LoRa-based systems.