LPWA evaluation platform
Hirvonen, Lassi-Pekka (2018)
Hirvonen, Lassi-Pekka
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805107483
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805107483
Tiivistelmä
Today new era of connectivity is shaping the industry. Things are being connected to Internet which means billions of connections in worldwide perspective. These connections are utilizing communication technologies with high complexity. Networks consist of actuators which are operating usually in radio and TCP/IP environment. Reliability is the most important factor in industrial communication. Network sensors should be available with sufficient transmission delay. How to ensure that the communication system fulfils the applications requirements and high availability?
This thesis provides a practical approach for evaluating complex communication systems. An evaluation platform was designed and implemented in order to measure modern communication system key parameters and availability. Key parameters included extended quality of service measurement such as packet error ratio, signal to noise ratio, received signal strength, and delay measurements. The availability was analyzed with statistical analysis of transmission delays. Finally, measured delays were compared to calculated theoretical values. With extended quality of service the flaws and weaknesses of the communication system can be analyzed. It is also possible to detect poor behaving network components or even verify the radio network design with radio channel measurements.
The focus of the thesis is on the transmission quality. The network access and security issues were left out from the study. Furthermore, the Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) communication technology was chosen for the evaluated technology. The Evaluation platform architecture was designed so that other communication technologies can be easily added later on to the platform, otherwise rest of the Low Power Wide Area (LPWA technologies) are not included in this thesis.
Evaluation platform is utilizing Python math, graphic libraries and Raspberry pi mini computers. Evaluation output is presented by the Wapice Internet Of Things (IoT) solution. So the evaluation platform itself is an IoT solution which is analysing the performance data of its own network components.
This thesis provides a practical approach for evaluating complex communication systems. An evaluation platform was designed and implemented in order to measure modern communication system key parameters and availability. Key parameters included extended quality of service measurement such as packet error ratio, signal to noise ratio, received signal strength, and delay measurements. The availability was analyzed with statistical analysis of transmission delays. Finally, measured delays were compared to calculated theoretical values. With extended quality of service the flaws and weaknesses of the communication system can be analyzed. It is also possible to detect poor behaving network components or even verify the radio network design with radio channel measurements.
The focus of the thesis is on the transmission quality. The network access and security issues were left out from the study. Furthermore, the Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) communication technology was chosen for the evaluated technology. The Evaluation platform architecture was designed so that other communication technologies can be easily added later on to the platform, otherwise rest of the Low Power Wide Area (LPWA technologies) are not included in this thesis.
Evaluation platform is utilizing Python math, graphic libraries and Raspberry pi mini computers. Evaluation output is presented by the Wapice Internet Of Things (IoT) solution. So the evaluation platform itself is an IoT solution which is analysing the performance data of its own network components.