Build a power budget
Separate sleep, measurement, processing and radio events. Multiply each current draw by its duration and expected daily count, then include self-discharge and a conservative reserve.
Test the reporting policy
Frequent uplinks, confirmed messages, retries and downlinks increase radio activity. Define which measurements must be immediate and which can be batched or reported only after a meaningful change.
Validate in the real environment
Weak coverage can increase airtime or retries. Temperature also changes usable battery capacity. Pilot the exact enclosure, antenna, firmware and reporting policy at representative locations.
Operational checklist
Operational checklist
- Energy per measurement
- Daily message count
- Confirmation and retry policy
- Field signal conditions
- Temperature range
- Maintenance and replacement plan
