LoRa mesh vs BLE mesh?

[S.G.]

Hi!

I have been using LoRa for communication for my product. I'm looking into using BLE mesh.

I have a couple of hundred sensors, all 1-2m apart from each other. Here a mesh network would be great. LoRa is doing the job for 10 sensors, but I haven't tested the mesh capabilities.

Any suggestions on using BLE mesh vs LoRa mesh? What would the gateway situation be? My main priority is low-power.

The sensors are all outdoors, the gateway would be outdoors too.

[awneil]

S.G. said:

LoRa mesh

Is that a thing?

While there do seem to be a few people talking about mesh using LoRa, it all seems to be proprietary - not  a standard thing?

Have you seen this:

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/48449/ble-5-or-lora

S.G. said:

I have a couple of hundred sensors, all 1-2m apart from each other.

LoRa should be able to cope with that fine without the need for meshing.

S.G. said:

Here a mesh network would be great

Really?

Meshes add a great deal of complexity! If you can do without a mesh, then do it!

[S.G.]

First, my plan was to add it without a mesh. 

The problem occurs when I have to send data to the sensor (from the gateway). The standard procedure is that the sensor first send a signal to the gateway and just then the gateway send the data to the sensor. As my system should be as responsive as possible (max 10s lag), I would break the duty cycle "rule" real quick. 

And yes, LoRa mesh is really new, not a standard, but https://pycom.io/ has achieved some great results with it. 

[awneil]

Ah, yes - the downlink is a real limitation of LoRa

[S.G.]

Yes, and that is a real deal breaker for me. But LoRa mesh is not as low-power as it should be. Around average 5-7mA with the pycom system

[awneil]

Yes;  it's not really what LoRa is aimed at: the clue is in the name - LoRa = Long Range.

S.G. said:

Around average 5-7mA with the pycom

That's terrible!

But that's an issue with "the pycom system", not LoRa itself - I've done far better than that!

[S.G.]

Yes, could be better. They have quite nice boards with all kinds of peripherals.