WisNode Tag Battery Modes
This guide explains the Battery Mode options available for WisNode Tag in the TrackIT app. After selecting LoRaWAN® as the Work Mode and choosing either Embedded NS or Third-party NS, select a Battery Mode to define how the device uses GNSS, when it reports data, how it detects movement, and how it balances location freshness with battery life.
Battery Modes apply to both LoRaWAN® deployment paths:
- Embedded NS with a RAK WisGate Edge Built-in Network Server
- Third-party NS such as TTN, ChirpStack, or a private LoRaWAN® Network Server
The selected Battery Mode directly affects power consumption and expected battery life. Actual battery life varies depending on report interval, GPS signal quality, movement frequency, LoRaWAN signal quality, retransmissions, firmware behavior, and battery capacity. The estimates in this guide are for planning purposes only.
Battery Mode Comparison
WisNode Tag supports three Battery Modes. You can configure the Battery Mode during device setup in TrackIT or later from the device settings page. Updating the Battery Mode usually requires a Bluetooth connection to the device.
| Battery Mode | Firmware Code | Main Setting | GNSS Behavior | Reporting Behavior | Power Profile | Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Static Mode | 0x0B | Report interval | Mostly off, wakes up at the configured interval | Scheduled position reports | Lower power use when the report interval is longer | Periodic tracking with longer battery life |
| Monitor Mode | 0x08 | Report interval | Stays active for frequent location updates | Frequent position reports | Highest power use because GNSS stays active | Live tracking or frequent location updates |
| Movement Mode | 0x09 | Movement level (1–6) | Used when needed, motion detection enabled | Event-triggered reports with baseline reporting | Depends on movement frequency and GNSS search time | Motion-triggered tracking or tamper detection |
Select the mode based on how often you need location updates and how much battery life you want to preserve.
Battery Mode Details
The following sections describe how each Battery Mode works, its typical settings, power consumption behavior, recommended use cases, and related uplink reports.
Static Mode
Static Mode is designed for periodic location reporting with lower power consumption.
In this mode, the tracker keeps GNSS off most of the time. It wakes up at the configured report interval, obtains and uploads its location or no-fix status, and then returns to sleep.
Figure 1: Static ModePower Consumption
Static Mode consumes less power because the device stays in low-power sleep most of the time. Power consumption mainly depends on the report interval and GNSS search time. A longer report interval reduces how often the device wakes up, while a shorter GNSS search time reduces the active time for each report.
If the device is used in an obstructed or indoor environment, GNSS may take longer to obtain a fix or may reach the no-fix timeout. In this case, use a longer GNSS search time when estimating battery life.
Typical Settings
- Set the report interval in TrackIT, such as 2, 5, or 10 minutes.
- Use a longer report interval to reduce power consumption and extend battery life.
- Use a GNSS search time that matches the deployment environment.
Recommended Use Cases
- Assets, luggage, and equipment with little movement.
- Long-term deployments where occasional location updates are sufficient.
- Scenarios where battery life is more important than real-time tracking.
Uplinks
- Sends scheduled
0xCA/0xCBposition reports on FPort 2. For payload details, refer to the LoRaWAN Payload Reference.
Monitor Mode
Monitor Mode is designed for frequent location updates.
In this mode, the tracker keeps GNSS active and reports its location at the selected interval. This provides better location freshness but consumes more power.
Figure 1: Monitor ModePower Consumption
Monitor Mode has the highest power consumption because GNSS stays active between reports. Changing the report interval mainly affects LoRaWAN® uplink traffic and map update frequency, but it does not significantly reduce the GNSS always-on baseline current.
Use Monitor Mode when location freshness is more important than long battery life, and plan charging or battery replacement accordingly.
Typical Settings
- Set a shorter report interval in TrackIT for more frequent map updates.
- Increase the report interval if frequent uplinks are not required.
Recommended Use Cases
- Live map tracking with Embedded NS and TrackIT.
- Short events, shifts, or activities where the latest location is important.
- Scenarios where charging or battery replacement can be planned.
Uplinks
- Sends frequent
0xCBlocation reports when GNSS has a valid fix.
Monitor Mode has a significantly shorter battery runtime than Static Mode or Movement Mode at similar report intervals.
Movement Mode
Movement Mode is designed for event-based tracking triggered by motion.
In this mode, the tracker enables motion detection. When the selected movement level is detected, such as vibration, movement, shaking, or fall, the tracker sends an event report. The device can remain in a lower-power state between movement events.
Figure 1: Movement ModePower Consumption
Movement Mode power consumption depends mainly on how often movement events are triggered and how long GNSS takes to obtain a fix. More movement events cause more wakeups and uplinks. Longer GNSS search time also increases power consumption.
If the device stays still most of the time, Movement Mode can provide longer battery life than Monitor Mode. If the device is installed on vibrating equipment or is moved frequently, increase the estimated event frequency when calculating battery life.
Typical Settings
- Set the movement level from 1 to 6 in TrackIT.
- A movement level maps to the motion or alarm sensitivity used by the firmware.
| Level | Motion Pattern |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mild vibration |
| 2 | Violent vibration |
| 3 | Movement |
| 4 | Mild shaking |
| 5 | Violent shaking |
| 6 | Fall |
Recommended Use Cases
- Hiking, sports, and outdoor activities.
- Pets and mobile assets.
- Tamper detection or alerts when an object moves unexpectedly.
Uplinks
- Sends baseline
0xCA/0xCBposition reports. - Sends
0xCEmovement alarm reports withalarm_levelwhen motion is detected. - Supports SOS report
0xCCthrough the center button. For details, refer to the WisNode Tag Datasheet.
Battery Life Estimation
Use the WisNode Tag Power Life Customer Estimator to estimate battery life for different Battery Modes. In the Estimator sheet, modify only the yellow input cells. The gray cells contain fixed assumptions or formulas and are protected to prevent accidental changes.
The estimator is based on the current firmware behavior and PPK2 measurement data. The result is for planning only and may vary in real deployments.
Estimator Fields
| Field | Default | Range / Option | How to Adjust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 1000 mAh | > 0 | Use the nominal capacity of the battery. For a battery pack, use the total pack capacity in mAh. |
| Usable capacity | 80% | 50% - 100% | Use 80% for typical estimation. Use 50% - 70% for cold temperature, aging, or conservative planning. |
| Monitor report interval | 1 min | > 0 | Affects LoRaWAN® uplink frequency. Since GNSS stays active in Monitor Mode, this has limited impact on the GNSS baseline current. |
| Static report interval | 1 min | >= 1 min | Shorter intervals wake the device more often. Longer intervals reduce power consumption. |
| Static GNSS search time | 5 s | 3 - 30 s | Use 5 - 10 s for open outdoor areas, 10 - 25 s for semi-outdoor or obstructed areas, and 30 s for indoor or no-fix scenarios. |
| Static report/cleanup overhead | 3.2 s | Fixed | Fixed measured value. Usually does not need adjustment. It covers uplink, RX window, callback, GNSS shutdown, and sleep preparation after GNSS search. |
| Movement work hours per day | 8 hours/day | 0 - 24 | Set the expected daily period when movement, vibration, or carrying events may occur. Do not use 24 unless the device may move all day. |
| Movement events per work hour | 60 events/hour | 0 - 60 | Use 60 for continuous movement, 1 - 10 for occasional movement, and 0 when the device is expected to stay still. |
| Extra event reports per event cycle | 1 report/event | 0 - 3 | Use 0 if rare, 1 if occasional, or higher only when additional higher-level event reports are frequent. This does not trigger another GNSS search. |
| Movement event GNSS search time | 5 s | 3 - 30 s | Use the same GNSS environment guideline as Static Mode. Longer search time gives a more conservative estimate in obstructed locations. |
| Movement event report/cleanup overhead | 3.2 s | Fixed | Fixed measured value after a movement event GNSS search. Usually does not need adjustment. |
| Hourly GNSS search time | 30 s | 3 - 30 s | Used for hourly background GNSS reports in the estimation model. Use 30 s for indoor or poor GNSS conditions. |
| Hourly report/cleanup overhead | 3.2 s | Fixed | Fixed measured value after each hourly GNSS report. Usually does not need adjustment. |
GNSS fix time has a strong impact on the estimation result. The current model uses a minimum of 3 s because a valid fix requires multiple 1 Hz GNSS samples. Use a longer value when the device is used near windows, inside vehicles, under cover, or indoors.
User Example
A user carries WisNode Tag during an outdoor work shift for 8 hours per day. During working hours, the device is frequently moved, so the estimator uses 60 movement events per hour and 1 extra event report per event cycle. After work, the device is placed indoors and remains mostly still. Because indoor GNSS signal is usually weaker, the hourly GNSS search time is set to 30 seconds for conservative estimation.
| Type | Setting | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| User input | Battery capacity | 1000 mAh |
| User input | Usable capacity | 80% |
| User input | Movement work hours per day | 8 hours/day |
| User input | Movement events per work hour | 60 events/hour |
| User input | Extra event reports per event cycle | 1 report/event |
| User input | Movement event GNSS search time | 5 s |
| Fixed assumption | Movement event report/cleanup overhead | 3.2 s |
| Fixed assumption | GNSS search current | 30.3 mA |
| Fixed assumption | Report/cleanup current | 6.75 mA |
| Fixed assumption | Sleep current | 0.068 mA |
| Calculated value | Movement event active time | 8.2 s |
| User input | Hourly GNSS search time | 30 s |
| Fixed assumption | Hourly report/cleanup overhead | 3.2 s |
| Calculated value | Hourly GNSS report active time | 33.2 s |
| Result | Estimated battery life | About 25.30 days |
Adjustment Guidelines
- Use Movement work hours per day when movement only occurs during part of the day, instead of assuming high event frequency for 24 hours.
- Increase Movement events per work hour if vibration or handling is frequent during working hours.
- Increase Extra event reports per event cycle if higher-level events often occur in the same event cycle. This only adds LoRaWAN TX/RX power consumption and does not trigger another GNSS search.
- Increase Movement event GNSS search time and Hourly GNSS search time for indoor or weak GNSS environments.
Measurement Assumptions
The fixed values in the estimator are stored in the Assumptions sheet and are protected. They are based on the current firmware behavior and PPK2 measurements.
| Assumption | Value | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep current | 0.068 mA | Sleep power consumption in Static Mode and Movement Mode. |
| Monitor average current | 34.03 mA | Average current when GNSS stays active in Monitor Mode. |
| GNSS search current | 30.3 mA | GNSS search period in Static Mode, Movement Mode events, and hourly GNSS reports. |
| Report/cleanup current | 6.75 mA | Uplink, RX window, callback, GNSS shutdown, and sleep preparation after GNSS search. |
