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Volume 25
Issue 20
10.3390/s25206469
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Internet of Things Node with Real-Time LoRa GEO Satellite Connectivity for Agrifood Chain Tracking in Remote Areas

by
Giacomo Giannetti
*,
Marco Badii
,
Giovanni Lasagni
,
Stefano Maddio
,
Giovanni Collodi
,
Monica Righini
and
Alessandro Cidronali
Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta 3, IT-50139 Florence, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2025, 25(20), 6469; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206469 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 5 August 2025 / Revised: 19 September 2025 / Accepted: 15 October 2025 / Published: 19 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enabling IoT Sensors Through Satellite Networks: Applications, Technologies and Solutions)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

This work presents an Internet of Things (IoT) node designed for low-power agrifood chain tracking in remote areas, where long-range terrestrial communication is either unavailable or severely limited. The novelty of this study lies in the development and characterization of an IoT node prototype that leverages direct-to-satellite connectivity through a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, using long-range frequency-hopping spread spectrum (LR-FHSS) modulation in the licensed S-band. The prototype integrates a microcontroller unit that manages both the radio modem and a suite of sensors, enclosed in a plastic box suitable for field deployment. Characterization in an anechoic chamber demonstrated a maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 27.5 dBm, sufficient to establish a reliable satellite link. The onboard sensors provide global positioning as well as measurements of acceleration, temperature, humidity, and solar radiation intensity. Prototype performance was assessed in two representative scenarios: stationary and mobile. Regarding energy consumption, the average charge drained by the radio modem per transmission cycle was measured to be 356 mC. With a battery pack composed of four 2500 mAh NiMH cells, the estimated upper bound on the number of transmitted packets is approximately 25,000.
Keywords: agrifood chain traceability; direct-to-satellite IoT; GEO satellite; Internet of Remote Things; Internet of Things; long-range frequency hopping spread spectrum; LoRa; satellite communications; wireless sensor networks agrifood chain traceability; direct-to-satellite IoT; GEO satellite; Internet of Remote Things; Internet of Things; long-range frequency hopping spread spectrum; LoRa; satellite communications; wireless sensor networks

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MDPI and ACS Style

Giannetti, G.; Badii, M.; Lasagni, G.; Maddio, S.; Collodi, G.; Righini, M.; Cidronali, A. Internet of Things Node with Real-Time LoRa GEO Satellite Connectivity for Agrifood Chain Tracking in Remote Areas. Sensors 2025, 25, 6469. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206469

AMA Style

Giannetti G, Badii M, Lasagni G, Maddio S, Collodi G, Righini M, Cidronali A. Internet of Things Node with Real-Time LoRa GEO Satellite Connectivity for Agrifood Chain Tracking in Remote Areas. Sensors. 2025; 25(20):6469. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206469

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giannetti, Giacomo, Marco Badii, Giovanni Lasagni, Stefano Maddio, Giovanni Collodi, Monica Righini, and Alessandro Cidronali. 2025. "Internet of Things Node with Real-Time LoRa GEO Satellite Connectivity for Agrifood Chain Tracking in Remote Areas" Sensors 25, no. 20: 6469. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206469

APA Style

Giannetti, G., Badii, M., Lasagni, G., Maddio, S., Collodi, G., Righini, M., & Cidronali, A. (2025). Internet of Things Node with Real-Time LoRa GEO Satellite Connectivity for Agrifood Chain Tracking in Remote Areas. Sensors, 25(20), 6469. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206469

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