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1. Ecosystem LoRaWAN is supported by the LoRa Alliance, an open non-profit association composed of more than 500 members. Its members work closely together and share experiences, promote and promote the success of the LoRaWAN protocol, and become the leading and open global standard for secure, carrier-grade Internet of Things LPWAN connections. NB-IoT is supported by two telecommunications standards associations, 3GPP and GSMA, both of which have the same goal of promoting the interests of mobile networks and equipment. 2. Spectrum LoRaWAN is optimized for ultra-low power consumption and remote applications. Therefore, network operators and equipment manufacturers can access the networks running on the license-free ISM Sub-1GHz spectrum for free. NB-IoT uses a cellular spectrum network, which is optimized for spectrum efficiency. The licensing fee for frequency band usage is very high, and it is limited to a few operators. 3. Deployment status According to the LoRa Alliance, 83 public network operators in 49 countries are currently using LoRaWAN, and more private companies are also using LoRaWAN networks. GSMA is an organization representing the interests of NB-IoT, LTE and other mobile networks. According to it, 40 countries will launch NB-IoT networks in the future. 4. Deployment options LoRaWAN network provides highly flexible deployment. It can be installed in a public, private, or mixed network, indoor or outdoor. LoRaWAN signals can penetrate into urban infrastructure, and each gateway can cover 30 miles (approximately 48.3 kilometers) in an open rural environment. NB-IoT uses LTE cellular infrastructure, which is an outdoor public network and requires the deployment of 4G/LTE cellular towers. If the sensor exceeds the coverage area of the base station, the base station is not easy to move. 5. Protocol The LoRaWAN protocol sends data asynchronously, and the data is sent only when needed. This can extend the battery life of the sensor device up to 10 years, and the battery replacement cost is low. NB-IoT needs to maintain a synchronous connection to the cellular network, regardless of whether it needs to send data. For sensor devices, it consumes a long battery life, resulting in high battery replacement costs, which may be too costly in many applications. 6. Emission current LoRaWAN provides 18 mA emission current at 10 dBm, and 84 mA emission current at 20 dBm. Modulation differences can enable LoRaWAN to support very low-cost batteries, including button batteries. The NB-IoT sensor consumes ~220 mA at 23 dBm and 100 mA at 13 dBm, which means that it needs more power to operate and requires more frequent battery replacement or a larger capacity battery. 7. Receive current LoRaWAN provides lower sensor BOM cost and battery life for remote sensors. The receiving current is about 5 mA, and the overall power consumption is reduced by 3-5 times. The NB-IoT receiving current is about ~40 mA. The communication between the cellular network and the device consumes more than 110 mA on average, and a communication lasts for tens of seconds. The protocol overhead has a significant impact on the battery life of devices that need to work for 3, 5, or 10 years or more. 8. Data rate LoRaWAN data rate is about 293 bps-50 kbps. The LoRaWAN protocol dynamically adjusts the data rate according to the distance between the sensor and the gateway, thereby optimizing the air time of the signal and reducing conflicts. The peak data rate of NB-IoT is about 250 kbps, which is more suitable for use cases with higher power budget and higher data rate (above 50 kbps). 9. Link budget LoRaWAN's MCL signal varies according to regional regulatory restrictions. The link budget is between 155 dB and 170 dB. NB-IoT needs to repeat remote sensors at a low bit rate in order to be able to support remote sensors. The link budget is up to 164 dB. 10. Mobility LoRaWAN can support mobile sensors to track the movement of assets from one place to another. Even without GPS, high enough accuracy can be obtained for many applications.
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We live in an age where IoT is a growing phenomenon, and therefore we often come across terms like LoRa and LoRaWAN. Most people use these terms interchangeably as they seem alike. However, this is not perfectly true as they have some differences. In this article, we will take a look at the pertaining differences between LoRa and LoRaWAN. We will also look at some of their prospective applications, and prominent benefits. Before understanding the key differences, we will have to develop a keen understanding of some essential terminologies. LoRaWAN + BLE Technology for Location Solution An indoor location system is formed by integrating wireless communication, base station and inertial navigation positioning, and other technologies to identify and monitor the position of persons and objects in an indoor space. Common indoor wireless positioning technologies include WiFi, Bluetooth, infrared, ultra-wideband, RFID, ultrasound and Zigbee. but they are not ideal for accurate, low-cost, low power and long-range indoor location systems. Based on new generation BLE positioning and LPWAN technologies, we can provide a perfect and low-cost wireless location solution for both indoor and outdoor use by combining our LoRaWAN GPS tracker, BLE probe and Beacon product within the location system. How it works Scenario 1: For indoor positioning only, combine the Beacon and BLE probe. The BLE probe is placed in a fixed and known position where it will scan the nearby Beacon and send its MAC address, RSSI and raw data to the server. The Beacon position can be acquired using the Pythagoras theorem when the three BLE probes receive the same MAC address at the same time. Scenario 2: For both indoor and outdoor positioning, combine the LoRaWAN GPS tracker and BLE probe. The LoRaWAN GPS Tracker supports both BLE and GPS locations. The GPS positioning can be used for outdoor situations. With indoor situations, the LoRaWAN GPS Tracker can serve as a BLE beacon that can be scanned by the nearby BLE probe, which will send the information to the LoRaWAN server. The MOKOSMART LoRaWAN GPS Tracker position can be acquired using the Pythagoras Theorem when the three BLE probes receive the same MAC address at the same time.