LoRaWAN – based on radar technology

Rohde & Schwarz offers best-in-class test solutions to measure key performance criteria of LoRa devices and gateways

Long range (LoRa) is one of the most successful low-power wide-area-network (LPWAN) technologies operating in unlicensed bands. The technology was developed by Cycleo, a French startup company that was acquired by the US-based Semtech in 2012. From the beginning, LoRa focused on providing reasonably priced low-power long-range technologies for a very broad IoT ecosystem. Today, LoRa networks are operated everywhere by traditional mobile and fixed operators as well as enterprises and open communities. The technology is continually evolving and now supports areas such as positioning services and roaming.

The idea to adapt radar signals

LoRa uses chirp spread spectrum (CSS) modulation, which was originally developed in the 1940s for radar applications. Its relatively low power consumption and robustness against fading, the Doppler effect and in-band spurious emissions makes this modulation technology a perfect choice for long-range IoT applications. Different spreading factors and channel bandwidths can be used to adapt to changing RF conditions. Multi-gateway communications further improve network coverage. LoRa supports three device classes (A/B/C) for low-power operations. Class A for very-low-power applications only allows downlink communication in short receiving windows following an uplink communication.

Your LoRa test challenges

As an LPWAN technology, the key performance and quality criteria of LoRa are RF performance under different RF conditions and configurations as well as power consumption. Testing some of the essential RF parameters is recommended before applying for the required LoRa certification and regulatory conformance certification in order to save time and money and to provide the best customer experience. Tests are performed in the R&D lab to maximize performance and interoperability. LoRa devices that need to operate reliably and safely under difficult conditions for at least 10 years require quality assurance measures during production. This includes, for example, the verification of the RF performance and basic functionalities.

Benefits of Rohde & Schwarz LoRa test solutions

Measurements can be easily performed with standard instruments from Rohde & Schwarz
Test solutions for every area – from R&D to LoRa device production
Rohde & Schwarz is a member of the LoRa Alliance