UWB Unlocked: Indesign’s Next Branch of Wireless Solutions

During my internship at Indesign, LLC this summer, I have had the opportunity to work on a few different projects, as well as gain first-hand experience engaging with various clients. The bulk of my summer, however, was spent working with Ultra-Wideband to develop an asset tracking system.

WHAT IS UWB?

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range, high-bandwidth radio technology used for precise distance measurement. What sets UWB apart from other wireless technologies is its use of Time-of-Flight (ToF) rather than signal strength to determine distance. UWB devices transmit extremely short, high frequency pulses across a wide spectrum, and when another UWB device receives the pulse, it sends a response. The round-trip ToF is divided by two and then multiplied by the speed of light to provide a reliable and accurate distance measurement.

This method offers several advantages:

• High Precision: ToF-based measurements are far more accurate than signal strength-based methods, allowing UWB to have centimeter-level precision.
• Security: UWB is less susceptible to relay attacks due to its short pulses and precise timing.
• Multipath Immunity: Similarly, UWB’s short pulses and wide bandwidth make it resistant to the multipath effect.

CURRENT UWB APPLICATIONS

Because of its precise distance measurements, a common UWB application is asset/location tracking. For example, Apple’s Airtags utilize UWB technology to allow users to locate lost items, and many other companies are starting to follow suit with their own implementations. Additionally, UWB is starting to be utilized in many hands-free systems, such as accessing your home and contactless payments.

ROLE OF BLE IN UWB SYSTEMS

Many current UWB systems utilize BLE as a method of establishing an initial connection, as well as transferring data to configure UWB ranging between two devices, which allows devices to conserve power when they are not ranging. For example, when using an iPhone to locate an Apple Airtag, the two devices first establish a BLE connection to exchange UWB session parameters to coordinate a successful UWB session. This exchange of configuration data is necessary to ensure a successful and secure ranging session.

TESTING THE WATERS

This summer at Indesign, we decided to put UWB technology to the test, as I was tasked with creating an ultra-wideband asset tracker. The goal was to have several UWB devices, called “anchors,” placed in fixed positions around a building, and place more UWB devices, called “tags,” on various assets to be tracked. If a user were to request a tag be tracked, each anchor would measure their distance to the tag, and those distances, along with the fixed location of the anchors, would be used to pinpoint the exact position of the tag in the building.

FINISHED PRODUCT

At the completion of the project, I had developed a functional UWB tracking system. I developed a Python GUI application that would connect to all nearby anchors and tags over BLE, and upon request of the user, would coordinate a ranging session between the anchors and the desired tag to pinpoint an exact location on a map. When having a tag placed on my desk, not only could the system determine the tag was on my desk, but it was able to determine exactly where on my desk the tag was located. This spoke volumes for the extreme precision of UWB ranging measurements.

KEY FINDINGS

Throughout the journey of this project, I, with the help of my peers, made several key discoveries about UWB and how it can be used:

• Multicast: Timing protocols established by the FiRa Consortium allow a tag to simultaneously range with multiple anchors in a single UWB session.
• Multiple Sessions: Similarly, there are protocols that allow a single UWB device to run multiple sessions simultaneously.
• Data Transfer: UWB is not just for distance measurement. Although it wasn’t used in the asset tracker system, we were able to successfully transfer raw data over the air using UWB.

WHAT’S NEXT?

This is only the beginning of UWB here at Indesign, as this project has opened the door for engineers at Indesign to create custom UWB-based solutions tailored to specific client needs. By demonstrating the precision and reliability of UWB, this project has demonstrated the technology’s potential, and it will be exciting to explore new and unique applications with our clients on future projects.

Why Choose Indesign, LLC?

Indesign, LLC is a multi-discipline engineering design firm that specializes in full turnkey electronic product development. From concept to manufacturing-ready design, our team provides end-to-end product development with a strong focus on quality, efficiency, and innovation. With an ISO-certified development process and a proven track record of success, we help clients bring new products to market quickly and reliably. We provide electrical, RF/wireless, embedded software, mechanical design, and more!

Ready to get started? Contact us today at (317) 377-5450 to discuss your next project!