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Indoor Coverage Testing

Urban testing was conducted in a dense city environment to evaluate the performance of MacTalk-enabled LoRa device-to-device (D2D) communication under real-world urban constraints. This environment represents practical deployment scenarios characterized by closely spaced buildings, vehicular movement, electrical noise, and partial obstructions, commonly encountered in smart infrastructure and industrial urban deployments.

The analysis focuses on RSSI, SNR, packet delivery reliability, and link stability between peer devices communicating directly using the MacTalk framework.

Signal Degradation with Distance in Urban Conditions​

In the urban deployment scenario, both RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) exhibited a gradual decline with increasing distance between peer devices. This behavior is expected due to urban attenuation factors, including building density, reflective surfaces, and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) paths.

Despite these constraints, stable device-to-device communication was maintained across the tested urban range, indicating that MacTalk can operate reliably even in environments with significant RF complexity.

Impact of Urban Structures and Interference​

Urban environments introduce multiple sources of attenuation and interference, such as:

  • Reinforced concrete buildings
  • Metallic facades and structures
  • Power lines and electrical equipment
  • Vehicular movement and dynamic obstructions

These factors resulted in RSSI fluctuations and localized SNR variations, particularly in areas with higher building density. However, the observed variations remained within acceptable operating limits, and packet delivery consistency remained high, demonstrating the robustness of MacTalk D2D communication in urban settings.

Packet Delivery Reliability in Urban Environment​

Across the tested distances, packet delivery remained consistent, with no abrupt communication drop-offs. Minor packet loss was observed at extended distances and in zones with heavy obstruction; however, communication recovered quickly as link conditions stabilized.

This behavior confirms that MacTalk D2D communication adapts effectively to fluctuating urban RF conditions, ensuring reliable data exchange between devices.

Impact of Environmental and Operational Factors​

Urban testing was performed under varying environmental conditions, including:

  • Daytime vehicular traffic
  • Electrical noise from nearby infrastructure
  • Partial obstructions due to buildings and roadside elements

These factors introduced short-term RSSI and SNR variations, but did not result in sustained communication failure. Compared to indoor environments, the urban deployment demonstrated better horizontal propagation, albeit with increased multipath effects.

Summary of Urban Environment Performance​

Overall, the urban deployment results demonstrate that MacTalk-enabled LoRa device-to-device communication performs reliably in dense urban environments, despite structural obstructions and RF noise.

Key observations include:

  • Gradual RSSI and SNR degradation with distance, as expected in urban settings
  • High packet delivery reliability with minimal sustained loss
  • Strong resilience to dynamic urban interference and obstructions
  • Suitability for smart city, industrial urban, and localized infrastructure applications

These results confirm that MacTalk is well-suited for secure, localized device-to-device communication in real-world urban environments without reliance on gateways or centralized infrastructure.