How often should a node do an OTAA Join, and is OTAA better than ABP?

[kersing (Jac Kersing)]

For RN2483 devices with firmwares 1.0.3 and above sleep can be used just fine. This issue was resolved. I don’t know the equivalent firmware revisions for RN2903 but expect anything released past January 2017 includes the fix.

[arjanvanb (Arjan)]

@kersing

For RN2483 devices with firmwares 1.0.3 and above sleep can be used just fine.

Am I right to assume that those would then not need mac save either? So, when using sleep, those could just do a new OTAA Join whenever (if ever) reset, and would not need mac save and mac join abp between sleeps?

Ah, you already answered that elsewhere:

@kersing

After a reset of the RN2483 module you will need to rejoin. However if you saved everything after the last transmit, you can use ABP join which basically initialized the LoRaWAN stack within the module without transmitting/receiving.

If the code on the main controller does not reset the RN module when the main controller is reset you do not need to rejoin. However in a lot of cases the main controller will be reset by removing and reapplying the power of the node and that will reset the RN module as well.