With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, wireless communication is playing an increasingly important role in smart home and industrial applications. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, with its high-precision positioning, low power consumption, low latency, and strong anti-interference capabilities, has become a key supporting technology for smart living and automation applications. From smart locks and keyless entry systems to precise device tracking and indoor navigation, UWB is reshaping the way we interact with our environment. This article explores the key applications of UWB technology in the IoT and smart home sectors and introduces the latest UWB module developed by Murata.
Functional characteristics and advantages of UWB technology
UWB is a short-range wireless communication technology that uses low-power, high-frequency electromagnetic waves and transmits data over an extremely wide spectrum (typically over 500 MHz). UWB was initially used in military radar and communication but has recently been widely applied in precise positioning, wireless sensing, and efficient data transmission.
UWB employs an ultra-wideband spectrum, typically exceeding 500 MHz, providing high data transfer rates and low interference capabilities. Its low power consumption is due to the use of short pulse technology, which consumes less power than traditional wireless technologies, making it suitable for IoT devices. UWB also supports high-precision positioning, which can be achieved through Time of Flight (ToF) or Angle of Arrival (AoA) measurements, enabling positioning accuracy within 10 cm. UWB's wide spectrum distribution and low power density make it less susceptible to interference from other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Moreover, due to the difficulty in intercepting and decoding pulse signals, UWB offers strong security, making it suitable for indoor navigation, asset tracking, smart homes, and automation control.
UWB uses ultra-wideband transmission, with a broad operating frequency range (e.g., 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz) and a bandwidth exceeding 500 MHz, ensuring high-speed, low-latency data transmission. This makes it suitable for short-range high-definition audio and video wireless transmission, such as in AR/VR devices.
UWB employs low-power pulse signal transmission, making it suitable for power-sensitive applications like IoT and wearable devices. Its short pulse characteristics enable efficient data transmission over short distances with minimal interference. Since UWB signals have extremely low power (typically below -41.3 dBm/MHz), they are less likely to interfere with other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, ensuring stable operation even in complex environments such as industrial settings or high-density communication areas. In addition, due to the use of short pulses and random spread spectrum technology, UWB data is difficult to intercept or eavesdrop on, making it suitable for high-security applications like keyless entry and mobile payments.
Broad application fields and development potential of UWB
UWB has a wide range of applications, such as high-precision indoor positioning, which can be used in smart factories, warehouse management, and medical facilities to provide accurate asset tracking and personnel positioning. It can also be combined with Real-Time Location System (RTLS) technology for security monitoring and automated management. Furthermore, UWB can be used in keyless entry and automotive applications. Companies like Apple and Samsung have already integrated UWB into their smartphones and smart access systems, enabling automatic car or smart home unlocking. Car manufacturers like BMW and Audi are also adopting UWB technology to replace traditional RFID and Bluetooth unlocking, enhancing security.
UWB technology can also be used in smart devices and wireless data transmission, supporting efficient wireless data transfer for applications like wireless VR/AR devices and high-definition audio and video transmission. It is suitable for wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses) for precise near-field communication. UWB can also be applied in medical and health monitoring, enabling remote patient monitoring and health analysis through precise motion sensing. UWB radar technology can enable human presence detection to even monitor heart rate and respiration without the need for additional sensors.
In automated production lines and robotic systems, UWB can provide precise positioning information, enhancing the flexibility of collaborative robots (Cobots). In applications like automated forklifts, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), UWB enables more accurate navigation and obstacle avoidance.
Compared to other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (BLE), and RFID, UWB offers the highest precision, reaching up to 10 cm. Its main applications include precise positioning and keyless unlocking. In the future, UWB will be integrated with 5G and AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) to enhance smart city and smart home applications. Additionally, UWB can expand into more consumer applications, such as smartphones and wireless car keys. Due to its high precision, low power consumption, and security, UWB will play a significant role in various fields, becoming a key trend in wireless communication and positioning technology.
Challenges and development trends of UWB technology
Currently, UWB chips and modules are relatively expensive. Compared to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (BLE), UWB is still in the early stages of technological development and market promotion, leading to higher application costs and affecting market penetration. In addition, although UWB has lower power consumption than Wi-Fi, it is still higher than BLE, which may impact battery life in long-running IoT devices like smart home sensors.
Although UWB technology has been standardized by IEEE 802.15.4z, different manufacturers may develop their own UWB solutions, leading to compatibility issues between devices. The FiRa (Fine Ranging) Consortium is currently promoting a unified standard to enable interoperability between different brands of UWB devices. However, more industry collaboration is needed to improve the ecosystem.
UWB's market penetration is still in its early stages, primarily used in high-end smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Samsung Galaxy), automotive keyless entry (e.g., BMW), and smart home applications. The mid-to-low-end market has yet to adopt UWB on a large scale. The IoT and smart home sectors still rely heavily on mature technologies like Wi-Fi and BLE, and it will take time for UWB to increase its penetration.
On the other hand, UWB's effective transmission range is approximately 10 to 50 meters. While it has clear advantages in indoor environments, it still needs to be combined with other technologies like 5G and Wi-Fi 6 for wide-area network applications such as smart cities and large industrial scenarios. Furthermore, UWB operates in the 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz frequency range, but different countries have varying policies on spectrum management. For example, the openness of UWB frequency bands differs in China, Europe, and the United States, which may affect technology deployment and application promotion.
As UWB chip technology advances, future UWB modules will have lower power consumption and smaller sizes, enabling broader applications in IoT devices such as smart locks, wearable devices, and home sensors. Module costs are expected to decrease, making UWB more accessible to mid-to-low-end devices. With the FiRa Consortium actively promoting UWB standardization, interoperability between different brands of devices is expected in the future. UWB will also integrate with other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, BLE, and 5G, forming a more comprehensive IoT and smart home ecosystem, enhancing device collaboration.
Future UWB applications will become more widespread, with smart home and keyless entry applications further penetrating products like smart locks, smart TVs, and smart speakers, enabling more precise spatial awareness and interaction. Combined with AIoT, UWB can automatically adjust lighting, air conditioning, and audio devices based on user location, enhancing the smart home experience.
UWB can be applied in indoor positioning and asset tracking, with future applications in hospital patient tracking, warehouse management, and industrial asset monitoring, improving management efficiency. Enterprise applications will also grow rapidly, with scenarios like airport luggage tracking, in-store navigation in smart retail, and logistics supply chain management gradually adopting UWB technology.
In the future, machine learning will optimize UWB positioning data, improving recognition accuracy for applications like smart surveillance and drone navigation. UWB will complement 5G, playing a greater role in low-power, high-precision positioning scenarios such as industrial IoT and smart cities.
Highly integrated low-power UWB module
Murata has launched a new UWB module for IoT applications—the Type 2HQ. This ultra-compact UWB module includes NXP's SR250 UWB chipset, clock, filters, and peripheral components. It features a low-power design, making it highly suitable for IoT devices with integrated UWB functionality, including battery-powered devices.
The Type 2HQ uses the NXP Trimension® SR250 chipset, which features an ARM Cortex-M33 core and complies with the IEEE 802.15.4z HRP PHY standard. It supports UWB channels 5 and 9, with a minimum UWB frequency of 6240 MHz and a maximum of 8240 MHz. It has an SPI interface, enabling bidirectional and unidirectional ranging with an accuracy of ±5 cm. It also supports Angle of Arrival (3D AoA or 2D AoA) functionality, with AoA accuracy within ±60° reaching ±5°.
The Type 2HQ includes UWB radar and supports On-Chip Presence Detection (OCPD). It has an embedded reference clock and sleep clock, with a resin-molded conformal shield structure. The module is extremely compact, measuring only 5.9 x 5.7 x 1.05 mm (maximum). It integrates a Bandpass Filter (BPF) for regulatory certification, with FCC/IC/TELEC/ETSI reference certifications in progress. It complies with FiRa and RoHS standards.
The Type 2HQ is the smallest, highly integrated UWB module on the market, supporting power calibration and crystal calibration. The sleep clock uses an internal crystal at 32.768 kHz, while the system clock uses an internal crystal at 38.4 MHz. It features a multi-antenna design and evaluation, with an external antenna (RF connector/antenna not included). It operates in a temperature range of -30 to 85°C, uses SMT mounting and LGA packaging, and has a power supply voltage (Vdc) of 1.8V or 1.2V for VDDIO and 3.3V for VBAT.
To accelerate customer product development, Murata has also released the Type 2HQ UWB module evaluation board. This evaluation board includes the Type 2HQ and Type 2FR (NXP RW612) USB-UART conversion IC. It can be powered via a USB cable or through a PC's COM port. The Type 2HQ can be controlled via the Type 2FR, and the board measures 90 x 45 x 11.6 mm.
Conclusion
UWB technology, with its high-precision positioning, low power consumption, and strong anti-interference capabilities, is driving the rapid development of IoT and smart home technologies. From keyless entry and smart home device coordination to indoor navigation, precise asset tracking, and security monitoring, UWB is bringing more efficient, convenient, and secure solutions to smart living. With the proliferation of 5G, AIoT, and more smart devices, UWB will continue to develop in synergy with other wireless technologies, further enhancing the smart living experience. However, to achieve broader applications, the industry must overcome challenges such as device costs and standardization integration. In the future, as technology advances and market demand grow, UWB's influence in the smart home and IoT sectors will continue to expand, laying a more solid foundation for the era of interconnected everything.