MOKO LW005-MP – A LoRaWAN Smart Plug and power meter

The MOKO LW005-MP is a LoRaWAN smart plug for indoor power and energy consumption monitoring, featuring sockets compliant with EU, US, UK, and FRA standards and suitable for industrial equipment control, power monitoring, and energy management.

The UL-certified smart plug operates with 100-230V AC mains, offers 0.5% power measurement accuracy, supports Bluetooth 4.0 for initial configuration and OTA updates, and can be controlled with LoRaWAN commands, an open-source mobile app, or a physical button.

MOKO LW005-MP specifications:

• Wireless
  • Bluetooth LE V4.0 for local configuration and OTA updates.
  • LoRa
    • Protocol – LoRaWAN V1.0.3
    • Supported frequency bands – CN470, EU868, AU915, US915, AS923, IN865, KR920, EU433, CN779, and RU864
    • Max Transmit Power – +21dBm
    • Rx Sensitivity – -137dBm @ SF12 300bps
    • Range – Up to 7 km in urban open space
• Power measurement accuracy – ±0.5%
• Misc
  • Power and pairing button
  • 2x RGB LED indicators display network status and power consumption levels.
• Power Supply – 100-240VAC, 50/60HZ
• Plug Types and maximum current
  • US up to 15A
  • UK up to 13A
  • EU up to 16A
  • FR up to 16A
• Dimensions – 104 x 61 x 34.5mm
• Shell Material – ABS+PC
• Temperature Range – -20°C to +40°C
• Humidity – 10% – 90%, non-condensing
• Protection Mechanisms – Overload, over-voltage, sag-voltage, over-current
• Certifications – CE, FCC, UL, UKCA

The company said it’s compatible with mainstream gateways and servers (TTN, Chipstark, SENET, LORA IOT, etc.), and it can be controlled with the MKLoRa app for Android and iOS whose code can be found on GitHub for users wanting to customize it. Instructions to get started can be found on the Smart Plug for LoRaWAN configuration guide (PDF).

So what is it for exactly? Moko explains that the main use cases include industrial energy management to check the power consumption and monitor equipment is in good working order, Smart Home automation to reduce electricity bills and receive notifications, and Smart Office energy solutions to automate power control based on working hours and track real-time energy consumption. I’m not super convinced by the last two since other wireless protocols like Zigbee or WiFi can do well in those environments, and I was more thinking about remote locations like mountain cabins, farming, or specific solar-powered installations where Internet connectivity may be an issue, as well as large warehouses or logistic hubs. The comparison table below, provided by the company, confirms Zigbee might be better for the Smart Home, and WiFi for smart home and office appliances, but LoRaWAN has its own advantages.

Feature	Smart Plug for LoRaWAN (LW005-MP)	Zigbee Smart Plug	Wi-Fi Smart Plug
Best Use Case	Industrial, commercial, and remote energy monitoring	Smart home automation	Home and office appliances
Penetration and Coverage	Strong signal penetration (walls, metal, underground)	Weak penetration (walls and obstacles reduce range)	Limited by Wi-Fi coverage
Network Interference	Minimal (Operates in sub-GHz frequency, avoiding congestion)	High (Interference from Wi-Fi & Bluetooth)	High (Competes with many devices in 2.4/5GHz band)
Scalability	Supports thousands of devices per gateway	Limited to Zigbee hub range	Limited to Wi-Fi router capacity
Data Storage and Reporting	Logs and stores power data locally and in LoRaWAN server	Limited local logging	Cloud-based logging

Besides app customization, MOKO provides a white label service with support for customized labels and packages using the customer’s logo, and more advanced services with a redesign of the hardware, software, and mechanical design if needed.

Rakwireless is selling the LW005-MP LoRaWAN power plug and meter for $50 on AliExpress and its own store. Additional information may also be found on the product page on the MOKOSmart website.

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