In recent years, many companies have been promoting the UWB market:
In 2019, Apple's iPhone 11 was equipped with a UWB chip. The "spatial perception" function brought by the popular AirDrop was the first to drive the commercial use of UWB in the consumer electronics field.
In March 2022, an information about HiSilicon recruiting UWB technology engineers also attracted attention from the industry and was considered a signal that Huawei HiSilicon was entering the field of UWB technology.
BMW and NIO announced that they would install UWB chips in their cars, followed by Volkswagen, Ford, Xpeng, BYD and other models.
In addition, Xiaomi's "One-Finger Connection" and Huawei's "Lingxi Pointing Remote Control" have successively entered the smart home field. There is still strong uncertainty as to whether the market is willing to pay for this high-cost but non-essential function.
A series of dynamics in the industry seem to announce that UWB applications can be everywhere. UWB technology has great opportunities in the automotive, smart wearable, and industrial markets.
But judging from a series of subsequent responses from the market, tepidity may be the most appropriate description of the UWB industry.
The UWB market size is not at the same order of magnitude as WiFi, Bluetooth, and RFID; and there is also a big gap with the market size of niche wireless communication technologies such as Lora and Zigbee. The reason is that UWB lacks successful and certain application scenario support. The
long-silent UWB still needs to wait for an opportunity to achieve new redemption. UWB chips usher in a new turning point
Recently, the UWB market, which was briefly calm, has received heavy news-at the MWC in 2024, Qualcomm released many new products in one go. Among them, UWB chips have also ushered in new progress.
It is understood that Qualcomm has released a chip model FastConnect 7900, which uses a 6nm process technology. It is a set of chips that integrates " Wi-Fi7+Bluetooth+UWB " multiple local area network communication technologies.
It is worth noting that this chip can form a new generation of high-end mobile chipsets with Qualcomm's latest 5G chip "Snapdragon X80", and can be used together with mobile phones, PCs, cars, IoT and other customers.
This may become a key link in promoting the development of the UWB industry.
Because the launch of the "Snapdragon X80" + "FastConnect 7900" chip combination means that Qualcomm's UWB will soon enter the mobile phone. According to reports, commercial terminals equipped with this platform are expected to be released in the second half of 2024, when domestic Android mobile phone manufacturers will simultaneously carry UWB functions. Once Android mobile phone manufacturers use UWB chips on a large scale, other mobile phone manufacturers will soon follow up.
By then, UWB may usher in a new situation of market demand.
Taking this opportunity, let's take a look at the technical characteristics and advantages of UWB, as well as the current application progress and enterprise layout, and have a deeper understanding of the development status, challenges and future trends of UWB technology. UWB, from military to commercial
UWB, the full name is Ultra Wide Band, is an ultra-wideband wireless carrier communication technology.
UWB is different from traditional communication technology. It realizes wireless transmission by sending and receiving extremely narrow pulses with a duration of nanoseconds or microseconds . Since the pulse time width is extremely short, ultra-wideband spectrum can be achieved, with a total available spectrum bandwidth of 7.5GHz from 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz, and the used RF bandwidth is above 500MHz.
The working frequency distribution diagram of ultra-wideband UWB and other wireless data transmission technologies
(Source: eliko.tech)
The broadband characteristics of this pulse signal enable UWB chips to transmit more data at relatively low power. Compared with common positioning technologies such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), WiFi and Bluetooth, UWB technology has the advantages of high positioning accuracy, strong anti-interference ability, good security, fast transmission speed, and low power consumption. It is especially suitable for high-speed wireless access in dense multipath places such as indoors.
In fact, UWB is not a new technology. It was proposed around 1960 and was mainly used in military radar systems. It is an auxiliary system and is not used too much. It
was not until February 2002 that UWB was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States and began to be used in civil and commercial communications. In March 2007, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) officially approved the MB-OFDM standard submitted by the WiMedia Alliance, which marked the birth of the first international standard for UWB technology and the beginning of its transition to large-scale commercial use.
Since 2013, UWB has been gradually applied to many different vertical fields such as public security systems, warehousing, logistics, hospitals, factories, coal mines, construction sites, exhibition halls, shopping malls, tunnels, computer rooms, airports, sports, etc.
UWB was further known to the public in 2019 when Apple equipped the iPhone 11 series with this technology, which also made UWB gradually used in more and more devices.
During this period, some companies began to launch UWB chips for high-speed short-range wireless communication and high-precision positioning and orientation.
UWB was initially positioned as a data transmission technology similar to Wi-Fi, but due to various reasons, including power limitations, it has not been successful in commercial use.
When the technology was repositioned, mainly towards the development of secure ranging and positioning technology based on pulse radio and IEEE 802.15.4a standards, UWB was given the ability to measure distance and position safely, reliably, and accurately at the centimeter level.
Simply put, UWB is not essentially for data communication, but its advantages lie in ranging and positioning.
The main attraction of UWB is its extremely high position and direction accuracy, which can accurately locate the position of an object with an error of only a few centimeters, which is much higher than Bluetooth, GPS and other tracking methods.
Thanks to its significant advantages, UWB has been quickly implemented in the above-mentioned B-end market and gradually put into commercial use.
As the technology matures, UWB technology has begun to explore application scenarios beyond the B-end and exert its huge application potential in the consumer market. Various terminal devices have begun to integrate UWB communication functions, such as consumer electronics products such as laptops, mobile phones and smart cars. UWB, looking for a foothold
So, what benefits can UWB bring to users?
The above introduction to the advantages of UWB technology may not be very intuitive. Taking the application scenario as an example, we can more clearly understand the function and value of UWB in practical applications. For example:
Apple uses the ultra-high precision positioning capability of UWB technology to improve the positioning accuracy of mobile phones and can sense the exact location of surrounding mobile phones. Apple named it spatial perception capability. Through the Airdrop function, quickly establish a wireless connection to prepare for users to transmit data.
In addition, UWB is also used by Apple on AirTag. Because it supports centimeter-level positioning accuracy, it can also achieve three-dimensional position tracking, and it is not only fast but also has lower power consumption. Therefore, AirTag can enable all devices to have anti-lost functions, and the user's search process is also more convenient. In addition to AirTag, after Apple Watch, HomePod and other products are blessed with UWB, they can also achieve precise positioning through precise positioning.
Apple is one of the few manufacturers that uses UWB on a large scale in its devices. Samsung is
also actively introducing the application of UWB in its products. Since the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold2, this technology has been added. For example, in the "Point to Share" function, UWB can also establish a wireless connection through rapid positioning to achieve data transmission. At the same time, Samsung also launched the SmartTag+ smart tracker. In addition to terminal products, Samsung has also adopted the Exynos Connect U100 chip that supports UWB, directly targeting the fields of smart homes, smart factories and smart cars.
In the field of smart home, Xiaomi has launched the "one-finger connection" function with UWB technology, as well as the derived "one-finger control" and "one-finger projection" functions. With the help of UWB's precise positioning and fast connection characteristics, the spatial positioning of the "one-finger connection" function has achieved centimeter-level and ±3° angle measurement accuracy. Directional control can be achieved by pointing, and operations such as screen projection can be easily completed. In the Mijia ecological chain system, the application of UWB has also brought more convenience to users.
Last year, Huawei released the first air touch TV, which innovatively equipped the world's first Huawei Lingxi pointing remote control interaction method, realizing the control experience of sliding, dragging, circling, etc. on large-screen TVs. This absolute pointing remote control technology achieves the air touch effect of "what you point is what you get" through UWB technology. Huawei said that the launch of this new TV interaction method will usher in a new era of "giant screen mobile phones" for the TV industry.
From consumer electronics to smart cars, what is the “second destination” for UWB?
The consumer market is becoming a stepping stone for UWB technology, allowing consumers to see the wonders of UWB. UWB, which is still looking for a way out in the consumer market, now shows signs of breaking out first in the automotive market. In
2019, the Internet of Vehicles Alliance listed UWB as the next generation of vehicle security access technology, promoting the large-scale availability of mobile devices. Subsequently, many car brands began to introduce UWB car digital keys.
Although various forms of keyless entry technology already exist, the adoption of UWB will enable vehicles to measure the exact location of the remote control key in real time within a few centimeters, which greatly improves the safety of vehicles compared to other wireless standards. In the future, you can unlock your vehicle with a UWB-enabled device (such as a smartphone) or a wearable device using its digital key platform, without having to carry a separate remote control key. At the same time, it can also support high-precision car search.
Source: IoT Think Tank
Industry insiders said, "UWB is currently the most widely used and promising scenario for digital car keys." With the promotion of mass-produced models by OEMs such as Weilai, Great Wall, Land Rover, and BMW, 2022 is even called the "first year of mass production of UWB digital keys."
In 2023, there were several landmark events in the industry. Whether it is Apple's "all-out investment", the entry of cellular module leader Quectel, or the new product releases of Chixin Semiconductor and Newrex, they all reveal that UWB may make great strides in the application of digital car keys.
However, UWB is not only used in cars as a smart car key.
UWB radar can also help perceive the surrounding environment, because UWB has very high accuracy. In-cabin monitoring is undoubtedly one of the first market segments to benefit from mandatory requirements of policies and regulations. It uses its breathing of human organisms to perceive whether there are organisms in the car. For example, the European New Car Assessment Program Euro NCAP is the world's first regional regulation to include child protection in the evaluation system to prevent adults from accidentally closing the door and children in the car have not come out, which may cause safety hazards. UWB technology can be used to detect whether there are living things in the car after the door is closed, and the owner can be alerted or not to close the door directly. In addition, the radar function of UWB can also realize the kicking to open the trunk.
The above applications will promote the application and promotion of UWB in the automotive market. Correspondingly, car users need to use the UWB chip in their mobile phones to interact with the UWB chip in the car. Then the large-scale application of mobile phone UWB chips will reversely promote the use of UWB technology in other consumer electronics.
In recent years, with the joint efforts of major manufacturers such as Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung and automobile manufacturers, UWB has gradually come to the fore from a niche technology mainly for industry applications to a popular technology actively embraced by the consumer market, and it has also become one of the key areas of focus of the capital market.
At present, UWB technology is mainly used in smart phones, automobiles, smart homes, wearable devices, consumer electronic tags and other fields. Among them, the huge shipments of mid-to-high-end mobile phones can continue to lead the shipment growth of various UWB devices such as C-end smart watches, smart wearables, and smart homes.
It is worth noting that there are two ways to add UWB chips to smartphones: one is to add a "U1" chip, just like what Apple is doing now. The function of this chip is not only positioning and ranging, but also other functions, which will enrich the functions of smartphones; the second is to add UWB functions to the main control chip of the mobile phone, just like 4G, 5G, WiFi, and Bluetooth are now directly integrated into one chip.
For the first option, emerging chip manufacturers still have opportunities, while the second option is likely to be directly eaten by mobile chip companies such as Qualcomm, MTK, and Huawei.
According to the latest report from Techno Systems Research, global UWB shipments will exceed 1.2 billion in 2027, with an annual compound growth rate of more than 30%. Driven by the dual-core of "mobile phone ecology + automotive ecology", UWB will have a broad blue ocean market in the future. From the perspective of application areas, by 2027, smartphones will still be the largest application market, followed by smart cars, smart homes, wearable devices, and electronic tags.
Source: Techno Systems Research UWB chip industry status and challenges
In the global market, the main players of UWB chips include Apple, NXP, Qorvo, etc. Among them, Qorvo acquired Decawave for US$400 million in 2020 to enter the UWB chip field. It currently dominates the B-end UWB market that needs to be positioned, including factories, coal mines, semiconductor companies, etc., and its main products are the DW series; while the supply of UWB in the mobile phone field is mainly from two suppliers, NXP and Qorvo, while Apple develops and uses it for itself; and in the field of automotive-grade UWB chips, NXP is the only one, and its main products are the Trimension series.
In addition, traditional automobile manufacturers such as STMicroelectronics, Infineon, and Renesas have also increased their layout of UWB, and have made certain progress in recent years.
In the Chinese market, although the UWB chip design field started late, it is currently accelerating its rise due to its good market and industrial chain advantages. The
main domestic market participants of UWB chips include Haoyun Technology, Huanxu Electronics, Lianrui Electronics, Tangen Technology, Jingwei Technology, Newray, Coreside, EasyBet, Hanwei Microelectronics, Youzhilian, Chixin Semiconductor, Jieyang Micro, Qingyan Xunke, etc. Many domestic manufacturers have made new progress in the field of UWB chips.
In general, UWB technology is constantly developing and improving both domestically and internationally, but there are still some gaps in domestic core technology and upstream of the industrial chain. With the further maturity of technology and the growth of market demand, it is expected that UWB technology will be more widely used and promoted in the future.
Cost Conundrum
UWB technology can also be seen in some applications in the market, but why is UWB not as popular as imagined?
In the final analysis, most of the current applications are irrelevant and belong to the nature of experience improvement. Some improvements are even tasteless and cannot solve unprecedented problems.
On the other hand, the practical cost of UWB is still relatively high, and further efforts are needed in the backward compatibility of mid-to-high-end products.
In this regard, some industry insiders pointed out that the main reason why UWB is currently priced relatively high is that the industrial chain has not yet taken off. With the continuous evolution of semiconductor process technology and the continuous rise of domestic UWB manufacturers, UWB shipments will continue to increase, and the rapid growth in shipments will largely drive down costs, thereby driving the popularization of UWB in mid-to-low-end devices.
UWB standardization process is slow
Another reason is that it takes a process to establish a new technology ecosystem.
The industry standards of UWB are generally still in a relatively "bulk" stage. After all, the application of this technology spans different scene levels such as consumer, industrial, and automotive, and the level standards of each scene also need to be further clarified.
Therefore, establishing a relatively unified standard is an obstacle that cannot be avoided.
UWB has two international standardization organizations: one is the UWB Alliance and the other is the Fira Alliance.
The target market facing the UWB Alliance is the B-side RTLS market, that is, the regional/indoor positioning market: through real-time perception of the location of people, cars, and objects indoors, the purpose of management automation is achieved. The RTLS market uses TDOA/TOF triangulation positioning as the positioning algorithm technology route. Each company's products are different in the UWB link layer communication protocol and RTLS positioning algorithm, so there is no possibility of compatibility between manufacturers' products.
The members of the FiRa Alliance include well-known manufacturers such as Apple, Sony, Samsung, Qualcomm, Xiaomi, and OPPO, and are committed to developing UWB application scenarios based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard across vertical business fields. The goal is to develop interoperability standards for the UWB indoor positioning industry, aiming to break the limitations of different standards and formats and promote the formation of global unified standards.
But overall, UWB is a big deal, and terminal manufacturers have not had as good a time as before in recent years. Compared with WiFi, BLE, and 5G, the enthusiasm for integrating UWB technology is not high. Most large manufacturers adopt a wait-and-see attitude, most of which are cultivating and seeking markets, and do not make major strategic investment strategies. UWB, trend interpretation
Based on the development status, application progress, and technical challenges of the UWB industry, IoT Media has observed several major trends in the development of UWB, and the author has made a concise summary of this:
1. Domestic UWB chip players are rising : Domestic UWB chip players have begun to deploy one after another since 2019. At present, several domestic chip players with fast progress have achieved chip mass production, and it is expected that more products will be mass-produced within one or two years. The rise of domestic chip players is bound to inject more vitality into the market. Many application scenarios or products require customized functions at certain levels and have extremely low cost requirements. These will be opportunities for domestic UWB chip players.
2. Android phones will quickly popularize UWB chips : iPhones have long popularized UWB chips. Previously, there were news reports about Android phones using UWB chips, but progress was slow. However, with Qualcomm launching a 5G chip set with integrated UWB functions, it is the best solution for mobile phone manufacturers to sell an all-in-one chip directly to mobile phone manufacturers. This will also directly drive the popularization of UWB among Android phone manufacturers.
3. Low cost is an industry rigid demand : Both B-end and C-end companies have consistently reported that the current UWB products are too expensive and need to be reduced in price. This is actually a kind of demand transmission. A common perception of the demand side is that UWB technology is very good, but the product is too expensive. Based on this demand situation, the most effective response strategy for upstream industries, whether chip manufacturers or product and solution providers, is to "beat down the price." At least at this stage, this is not a malicious price war, but a move to meet industry needs.
4. The division of labor in the industry has become clear : A few years ago, the current situation of the UWB industry was that there were very few chip companies, and there were many solution providers, and the products and business areas of each solution provider were highly overlapped. At present, we have gradually seen the trend of industrial division of labor. Some companies have gradually focused on making modules or standard hardware products, some companies have gradually only made positioning software, and some companies have gradually focused on the overall solutions of vertical industries. This is a good signal that the industry is growing and developing.
5. UWB manufacturers have targeted and deeply cultivated vertical industries : A few years ago, almost all solution providers would do projects in any industry, but now, most domestic UWB solution providers are consciously doing subtraction, focusing their energy on deepening their cultivation in several vertical industries, understanding the business logic and needs of this industry or user, and creating an integrated information solution.
6. The number of UWB multi-mode fusion products is gradually increasing : Whether it is a B-end product or a C-end product, if positioning is required, it will involve indoor and outdoor fusion, or fusion with other technologies. For example, for B-end products, UWB often needs to be integrated with transmission technologies such as Bluetooth, GNSS, and even LoRa, WiFi, etc. Based on such needs, multi-mode or co-sealed products will gradually appear on the upstream end of the chip in the future.
In short, UWB ultra-wideband is a technology with great potential.
Some industry insiders said that in the future, UWB will become a wireless technology with a similar popularity and scale as Bluetooth and WiFi. For this reason, industry manufacturers continue to deepen the UWB field and provide support from the underlying chip technology in multiple application scenarios. However,
UWB is still in its infancy and is facing fierce competition from technologies such as Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi. Although UWB has advantages in many aspects such as security, high bandwidth, and two-way communication, which makes it well received in many applications, however, UWB has a high product price due to its low industry usage, and market promotion is still difficult. At
the same time, the threshold of UWB technology is also very high. From research and development to implementation, it must not only meet regulatory requirements and consistency requirements, but also pass the FiRa PHY certification test and ToF and AoA measurements. It can be said that the characteristics and deployment of UWB technology will indeed bring huge challenges to testing.
Although the development of UWB currently faces many challenges, the promotion of the consumer electronics market, especially the launch of Qualcomm UWB integrated chips and its accelerated entry into the automotive market, has undoubtedly provided new momentum for the development of the UWB market.
We have reason to believe that UWB technology will achieve greater breakthroughs in the next few years. But it is not intended to replace Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or NFC, but to intelligently supplement them. In the end,
UWB is not yet a hot commodity, let alone a life-saving straw. It requires the active exploration and joint participation of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to solve problems around power consumption, cost and standardization, and open the "core" chapter of UWB chip products.
UWB does have many application scenarios. Interested and professional teams and individuals can contact me to develop together. There is financial support.
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Published on 2024-8-14 20:39
UWB does have many application scenarios. Interested and professional teams and individuals can contact me to develop together. There is financial support.
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