LoRaWAN Class
LoRaWAN is an innovative and efficient wireless communication technology for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a protocol specifically designed to connect devices with long range coverage and low power consumption.
There are two classes of LoRaWAN supported by LoRaWAN Antares, namely Class A and Class C.
Class A, which is the most common and most efficient class in terms of energy usage. LoRa Class A devices have a specific duty cycle where they transmit data at regular intervals, however, downlinks (messages from the server to the device) can only be received after the device has sent an uplink (message from the device to the server). This makes Class A particularly suitable for applications that require long-distance connections and low energy consumption, such as environmental monitoring, remote sensors, and surveillance systems.
Class C, which offers real-time response and faster communication. LoRa Class C devices are always active in receive mode, with the RX window (time to receive messages) always open. This allows the device to receive downlinks at any time, without having to wait for a certain period as in Class A. Class C is suitable for applications that require real-time communication, such as traffic monitoring, remote control, and IoT applications that require instant response.
For more details on the differences between LoRa Class A and Class C protocols, see the table below:
Downlink Receptions
Only after the uplink is sent
At any time, at the end of each slot downlink
Uplink Transmission
After downlink (RX window opened according to uplink periodic duration)
At any time, the RX window is always active
Energy Consumption
Low
Higher than Class A
Application
Remote sensor, monitoring, temperature sensor
Real-time applications, traffic monitoring, IOT
Data Delivery Delay
Longer because of waiting for the RX window to activate
Lower because the RX window is always active
Battery Usage
Efficient due to sleep in sleep mode
More wasteful because it is always active in the RX window
Response Speed
Indirect, dependent on RX window time
Direct, data received as transmitted
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