Improving the FLoRa Simulation Framework for the Performance Evaluation of IoT Scenarios

Resumen

In last years, Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies have increased their presence. Their main characteristic is covering large areas with limited resources. One of the greatest exponents in LPWAN are Long-Range (LoRa) and (LoRaWAN). LoRa offers an easy deployment, a low-power consumption, a wide-coverage, and a high performance, although it also has several constraints such as a low Data-Rate (DR), a duty-cycle restriction (1%), and a limited application for real-time services. In this paper, we improve the Framework for LoRa (FLoRa) network simulation framework using open-source tools and the programming languages C++ and Python. The incorporated options allow a better adaptation of the simulation to users’ requirements (topology, network conditions, or typical LoRa setting parameters, such as Spreading Factor (SF), Transmission Power (TP), Coding Rate (CR), Bandwidth (BW), or Carrier Frequency (CF), among others). As an example, we show the performance of a simulated air-quality monitoring system deployed using LoRa/LoRaWAN with a real dataset. System performance is evaluated in terms of several quality metrics. By using simulation tools like the one we present in this work, IoT (Internet of Things) networks and services can be tested and evaluated in advance, facilitating a better planning of future real deployments.