Silicon Labs, a leader in secure, intelligent wireless technology for a more connected world, announced its support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding technology on the xG24 platform.
Bluetooth® Channel Sounding is a new protocol stack designed to enable secure and precise distance measurement between two Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) connected devices. By offering true distance awareness, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding enhances the accuracy and security of Bluetooth device-ranging capabilities.
“In a world where location awareness is critical, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding revolutionizes proximity and location capabilities, propelling Bluetooth technology into a new era,” said Ross Sabolcik, Senior Vice President of the Industrial and Commercial Business Unit at Silicon Labs. “With a legacy of empowering developers with the full potential of Bluetooth technology, Silicon Labs’ latest hardware and software create an accelerated path to groundbreaking Bluetooth products equipped with Bluetooth® Channel Sounding.”
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Bluetooth Channel Sounding Enhances Accuracy and Security for Distance Awareness
By helping to estimate the distance between two devices, Bluetooth Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) opened the door for a new wave of applications. From solutions to help locate devices like phones or tablets to digital security enhancements like geofencing, Bluetooth technology has enhanced the convenience and simplicity of everyday tasks. The challenge, however, is that Bluetooth RSSI has relied on estimations to determine location. RSSI is also susceptible to issues like multipath and obstruction which can significantly reduce accuracy. Bluetooth® Channel Sounding addresses this by improving the accuracy to sub-meter and enhancing the security of Bluetooth device ranging capabilities.
Bluetooth® Channel Sounding uses Phased-Based Ranging (PBR) to deliver precise distance measurements between two devices and a secondary ranging method called Round Trip Time (RTT). The independent distance measurements from RTT can then be used to verify and cross-check the PBR measurements. This cross-verification process helps detect anomalies to ensure applications are secure, which is critical when developing access control solutions for hospitals and industrial buildings that must grant or deny access based on proximity.
With PBR and RTT, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding can be used in home and life applications like smart locks, locating consumer electronic devices, and pet trackers, as well as industrial and commercial applications like geofencing, vehicle keyless entry, and access control – all while delivering accurate, secure, and dependable Bluetooth ranging services. With advanced distance estimation techniques, Bluetooth® Channel Sounding can also be used to triangulate the position of commercial infrastructure like wireless access points or luminaires to either meet regulatory requirements or save human labor and costs.
SOURCE: PRNewswire