Signal quality: the power drain of poor connectivity
Signal quality is perhaps the single most significant factor affecting battery consumption in NB-IoT sensors. When signal conditions are suboptimal, devices must increase transmission power to maintain reliable connections, dramatically increasing energy consumption.
How signal quality impacts power usage?
- Higher transmission power: In areas with poor coverage, devices must increase transmission power up to 23 dBm (200 mW), consuming significantly more energy than the 0 dBm (1 mW) needed in optimal conditions.
- Retransmissions: Weak signals lead to packet loss, forcing energy-intensive retransmissions that can drain batteries quickly.
- Extended transmission time: Devices remain in high-power active mode longer when struggling to establish or maintain connection with the network.
How to improve the signal quality?
Optimize device placement: Install devices in locations with confirmed good coverage, preferably elevated and away from metal objects, concrete walls, or underground spaces. The current signal conditions can be checked in Efento mobile application. When installing NB-IoT sensors, make sure the signal indicator shows “Good” or “Moderate”.
If there are more network operators in the deployment region, consider changing the operator to the one with better NB-IoT coverage.
Transmission interval: finding the right balance
The frequency of data transmissions directly correlates with energy consumption, making transmission interval optimization critical for battery conservation.
Wake up energy cost
Each transmission cycle requires the device to wake from low-power sleep mode, connect to the network, transmit data, and return to sleep—a process that consumes significant energy regardless of data volume. The more often the device sends the data, the shorter battery life time.
How to optimize transmission intervals?
- Extend transmission intervals: Reduce the frequency of data transmissions whenever possible. For example, switching from reporting every 15 minutes to hourly or daily updates can significantly extend battery life by several years.
- Use alarm rules: Configure devices to transmit only when significant changes occur or thresholds are crossed. This ensures you receive immediate notifications only when needed while conserving battery power.
Bluetooth Low Energy interface
Efento sensors come with a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface, which allows configuration via a mobile app. However, when not in use, BLE can still consume battery power. To extend battery life, you can disable or enable the BLE interface at any time – either locally using the mobile app or remotely via Efento Cloud. Disabling BLE can significantly reduce power consumption, especially in areas with poor network coverage.
Environmental factors: the hidden battery drainers
Environmental conditions significantly impact battery performance but are often overlooked in deployment planning.
Temperature effects
- Cold Environments: Batteries operating below 0°C can lose up to 50% of their capacity, dramatically reducing device lifetime.
- Heat Exposure: Sustained temperatures above 40°C accelerate chemical degradation in batteries, permanently reducing capacity and operational life.
Simulating battery life
We have developed an online battery life calculator that helps customers estimate how signal conditions and sensor settings affect battery lifespan. The Efento Battery Life Calculator allows users to simulate different scenarios and understand how changes in transmission frequency and network conditions impact device longevity.
The Efento Battery Calculator enables users to estimate battery life based on signal conditions and sensor configuration.