Evaluation of Radiated Electromagnetic Immunity of the IoT LoRa Protocol

Abstract

With the advancement of Industry 4.0, industrial automation has transitioned to wireless networks, enhancing flexibility and efficiency. Technologies such as LoRaWAN are widely adopted due to their low power consumption and long-range communication capabilities. However, the increasing density of connected devices presents challenges related to electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can degrade network performance. This study evaluates the radiated electromagnetic immunity of the LoRa protocol, testing Heltec LoRa ESP32 V2 boards according to IEC 61000-4-3 standards. The tests, conducted in an anechoic chamber at frequencies from 80 MHz to 6 GHz with a field intensity of 10 V/m, revealed sensitivity to EMI at specific frequencies (305 MHz and 730 MHz), leading to packet loss and communication failures. These findings highlight the need for enhanced filtering, shielding, and protocol adjustments to improve the robustness of industrial LoRa-based communications.