Ultra-wideband was formerly known as pulse radio, but the FCC and the International
Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) currently define UWB as
an antenna transmission for which emitted signal bandwidth exceeds the lesser of 500 MHz or
20% of the arithmetic center frequency.
Like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range, wireless communication
protocol that operates through radio waves. But unlike its counterparts, it operates at very high
frequencies — a broad spectrum of GHz frequencies — and can be used to capture highly
accurate spatial and directional data.
Range of UWB
3.1 to 10.6 GHz
How does UWB work? A UWB transmitter works by sending billions of pulses (UWB was
previously known as “pulse radio”) across the wide spectrum frequency; a corresponding
receiver then translates the pulses into data by listening for a familiar pulse sequence sent by
the transmitter.
Ultra Wide Band (UWB) is a wireless technology developed to transfer data at high rates over
very short distances at very low power densities. UWB short-range radio technology
complements other longer-range radio technologies such as Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and cellular wide
area communications.
What is the difference between
narrowband and wideband?
The terms “narrowband” and “wideband” refer to the actual radio channel bandwidth. A
common definition (ETSI) of narrowband is when 25 kHz or less is used for the radio
channel. The benefit of using a narrow channel is the lower noise bandwidth and hence
better sensitivity and range. The advantage of wideband is the capability to transfer
higher data rates. Because of the high radio performance associated with narrowband,
the term is being misused as seen from an industrial radio point of view. Unfortunately
LTE NB-IoT use the “narrowband” term even for a 180 kHz bandwidth, which in terms of
industrial radio is understood as wideband. Even LoRa is not a narrowband technology
as it is based on a frequency chip spanning over more than 100 kHz. When discussing
LPWAN it is only Sigfox that use true narrowband technology.
ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range, wireless communication protocol that
operates through radio waves. But unlike its counterparts, it operates at very high
frequencies — a broad spectrum of GHz frequencies — and can be used to capture
highly accurate spatial and directional data.
working
Once a UWB-enabled device like a smartphone, smartwatch, smart key or tile is near
another UWB device, the devices start “ranging.” Ranging refers to calculating
the time of flight (ToF) between devices: the roundtrip time of challenge/response
packets.
Using larger channel bandwidth (500MHz) with short pulses (2 nanoseconds each),
UWB achieves greater accuracy. The UWB positioning process instantaneously
tracks the device’s movements in real-time. In doing so, UWB-enabled devices can
understand both motion and relative position.
According to NXP, which produced the UWB chipset featured in the Galaxy Note20
Ultra, UWB delivers greater accuracy in line-of-site (LoS) and strong localization in
non-line-of-sight (nLoS) scenarios — and is capable of managing environments in
which numerous walls, people and other obstacles would typically block these
signals. Using angle-of-arrival (AoA) technology, the real-time accuracy of UWB
measurements provides highly precise device location services at the centimeter
level. Not only that, UWB devices can also determine whether an object is stationary,
moving closer or moving away.
For example, UWB-enabled systems know if you’re approaching a locked door and
can determine if you’re inside or outside the doorway. They can also decide whether
the lock should be engaged when you reach a specific position. In a real -world
scenario, UWB could open the garage as your car approaches and unlock the door to
your house as you near the entryway
How is UWB different from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
When we think about wireless connectivity technology, Bluetooth and Wi -Fi usually
come to mind. But these technologies lack the accuracy, positioning capabilities and
radio frequency security available with UWB. Most wireless connectivity technologies
can technically provide ranging, but UWB’s performance is far superior.
UWB also operates in a separate section of the radio spectrum, away
from congested bands clustered around 2.4GHz. What’s more, UWB can coexist with
other popular wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Near Field
Communication (NFC).
One of UWB’s most significant advantages is the added portion of the physical layer
(PHY) used to send and receive data packets. With this layer, currently being
specified in IEEE 802.15.4z, a critical security extension not available in other
technologies can be leveraged, allowing for security techniques such as
cryptography and random number generation that deter attackers from accessing
UWB communications
How can the enterprise leverage UWB technology?
With its fine precision, fast transmission and high reliability, UWB technology is
poised to help companies locate people and objects moving in all sorts of
environments and processes.
One highly relevant use case in today’s workforce is social distancing. As
organizations strategize how to get back to business safely and securely, they also
need to consider physical distancing guidelines. With UWB technology, a wearable
sensor could alert an employee when they get too close to someone.
For any organization involved in manufacturing, UWB could be an essential part of
digitizing production and logistics. Now, people and items don’t need to be stationary
to be recorded; they can also be mobile. UWB could help seamlessly digitize
warehouses, shop floors and process chains, stabilizing internal processes and
optimizing productivity.
What can we expect from UWB in the future?
UWB is a new technology, and the companies working on it are just getting started.
The FiRa Consortium, of which Samsung is a member, has been focused on
promoting adoption of UWB technology and advancing updates to the UWB
standards and certification programs to ensure interoperability.
With Samsung’s Galaxy Note20 Ultra, there are already a few exciting applications
that leverage UWB. For example, the new Nearby Share app for device-to-device file
transfers will be enhanced through the use of UWB. By simply pointing your phone at
other UWB-equipped devices, Nearby Share automatically lists that device at the top
of your sharing panel.
During the recent Unpacked event, Samsung also discussed the integration of UWB
into a new SmartThings Find application. Using augmented reality (AR) and intuitive
directions, you’ll be able to precisely locate other UWB-equipped things and devices.