Bernardo Milheiro , Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal

This paper presents the design, implementation, and empirical evaluation of a LoRa-based IoT network deployed at the Setúbal campus of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal. The network leverages LoRa long-range communication integrated with open-source cloud infrastructure to create a research and development platform for IoT technologies while transforming the campus into a smart environment. A custom field Tester device was developed incorporating an RFM95 transceiver and integrated with a mobile application utilizing smartphone GPS for systematic coverage mapping. Extensive field testing across 33 locations demonstrated reliable coverage across all tested campus locations, with a maximum recorded communication distance of 17.5 km in one of the test sites. Path loss analysis revealed environmental coefficients ranging from 2.7 to 3.5 depending on terrain characteristics. The implementation validates the feasibility of cost-effective, scalable IoT infrastructure for educational institutions.

IoT, Smart Campus, LoRa, RSSI Mapping, Path Loss