RESULTS OF MODELLING AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF MULTI-TIER IoT-NETWORKS IN AGRICULTURAL MONITORING APPLICATIONS

Abstract

This paper presents a software-oriented evaluation of integrated IoT communication architectures applied to agricultural monitoring systems. The integration of multi-level wireless networks in agricultural monitoring systems is the subject of numerous scientific studies, which emphasize the advantages of combining several infocommunication technologies to overcome specific challenges in agriculture. The study focuses on practical deployment scenarios where heterogeneous wireless technologies, including cellular, local-area, and low-power sensor networks, are jointly used to support data acquisition and transmission in agricultural environments. Simulation results highlight the impact of network architecture on throughput, latency, energy efficiency, and coverage area under varying operational conditions. The outcomes demonstrate that multi-tier IoT network configurations offer greater adaptability and robustness than single-technology solutions. The results of simulation modeling provide both a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of using these technologies in the context of increasing agricultural production productivity. The main results of the study are as follows. As a result of the modeling, it was found that 5G technology provides a maximum data transfer rate, which significantly exceeds the corresponding indicators of LTE and Wi-Fi. At the same time, Zigbee technology, characterized by a low data transfer rate of 20 Kbit/s, demonstrates high energy efficiency with a consumption of about 0.05 W per device. The results of the simulation experiments allowed us to assess the effectiveness of the multi-level IoT network in agricultural applications. The main obtained indicators are summarized in the tables.  The proposed approach provides practical insights for designing scalable and resilient communication infrastructures for precision agriculture applications.