Experimental Evaluation of LR-FHSS: A Comparison with LoRa

Area of Science:

• Wireless Communication Technologies
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Radio Frequency Engineering

Background:

• LoRaWAN faces scalability and coverage limitations with conventional modulation.
• Emerging Long-Range Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (LR-FHSS) modulation aims to address these limitations.
• LR-FHSS is the latest modulation introduced to the LoRaWAN standard.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a real-world performance evaluation of LR-FHSS.
• To benchmark LR-FHSS performance directly against conventional LoRa.
• To assess LR-FHSS capabilities in urban and semi-urban settings.

Main Methods:

• An outdoor field campaign was executed near Castelldefels.
• A complete LR-FHSS network and end-device were utilized.
• Measurements included Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) across diverse paths.

Main Results:

• LR-FHSS demonstrated significantly extended reliable communication range compared to LoRa.
• LoRa connectivity dropped beyond 1.5-2 km at data rates DR0 and DR5.
• LR-FHSS maintained reliable links up to 3-4 km, especially at DR8 and DR10.
• LR-FHSS showed enhanced robustness in non-line-of-sight (NLoS) and long-range scenarios.

Conclusions:

• LR-FHSS provides substantial advantages in range and robustness over conventional LoRa.
• LR-FHSS is a promising technology for future IoT deployments requiring extended coverage.
• The findings support LR-FHSS adoption for challenging IoT environments.