Do you know the UWB Promotion Organization? How do they introduce UWB?

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Do you know the UWB Promotion Organization? How do they introduce UWB? [Copy link]

Let me introduce to you the UWB promotion organization - Fira Alliance. In order to promote UWB globally, in August 2019, NXP, Samsung, Bosch, Sony and other companies formed the FiRa Alliance (fine ranging, pronounced "fee-rah"), and participating manufacturers include UWB chips, equipment and application solution providers. This alliance aims to use UWB technology to promote seamless user experience and develop a UWB ecosystem.

The following is an introduction to the Fira Alliance's popular science on this technology. The following content is excerpted from What is UWB?

In challenging application environments such as parking lots, hospitals, airports and high-density venues, UWB technology far outperforms other technologies in terms of accuracy, power consumption, reliability and security of wireless connections.

In other words, UWB is able to securely determine the relative position of devices with very high accuracy and can operate within line of sight of up to 200 meters. Compared to narrowband wireless technologies, the use of high bandwidth means that UWB provides a very stable connection with little interference and provides highly accurate positioning, even in crowded multipath signal environments.

By calculating precise location, UWB-based fine ranging is a more secure way to close and open locks, whether they are installed on car doors, warehouse entrances, conference rooms or your front door.

Previously, UWB was a technology used for high data rate communications and therefore competed directly with Wi-Fi. But since then, UWB has undergone several transformations:

UWB has evolved from OFDM-based data communications to pulse radio technology specified by IEEE 802.15.4a (2ns pulse width);

Security extensions are specified in IEEE 802.15.4z (at the PHY/MAC level), making it a unique and secure fine-ranging technology;

Moving from data communications to secure ranging allows a variety of applications to take advantage of spatial context capabilities, including hands-free access control, location-based services, and peer-to-peer services.

The starting point of UWB technology is IEEE standard 802.15.4 and IEEE802.15.4z-2020 Amendment 1.

Amendment 1 is the IEEE standard for low-rate wireless networks, covering an enhanced ultra-wideband (UWB) physical layer (PHY) and related ranging technologies. The 802.15.4 standard is widely used in various applications that use ranging capabilities, such as high-speed PHY (HRP) and low-speed PHY (LRP). In general, the IEEE 802.15.4 standard defines the PHY, MAC, and sublayers, with a focus on low data rate wireless connectivity and precise ranging. Different PHYs are defined for devices operating in various license-free brands in different geographic regions.

In January 2018, in response to the need for enhanced operation, the 802.15.4z task group was formed to define the PHY and MAC layers for HRP and LRP.

IEEE802.15.4z focuses on additional coding and preamble options, as well as improvements to existing modulation, to improve the integrity and accuracy of ranging measurements, with a typical range of up to 200 meters for radios. The definition of elements to support additional information will facilitate the exchange of ranging information.

The goal of the FiRa Consortium is to build on the foundation that the IEEE has already established for HRP. This means supporting the IEEE's work with an interoperable HRP standard that includes performance requirements, test methods and procedures, and a certification program based on the IEEE configuration characteristics.

It also means defining mechanisms that are beyond the scope of the IEEE standard, including at the application layer - discovering UWB devices and services and configuring them in an interoperable way. We are also working on many other activities, such as developing service-specific protocols for multiple vertical industries and defining the necessary parameters for a range of applications, including physical access control, location-based services, device-to-device services, etc.

For more information on how UWB works and a comparison of UWB technologies, click here.