Silicon Labs has developed the BG24 Bluetooth SoC with features such as low power consumption and compact size. It supports Bluetooth positioning technologies including Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Channel Sounding, providing CoreHW with cutting-edge Real-Time Location Services (RTLS) solutions for the development of innovative CoreTag and CoreLocator positioning applications.
Challenges:
The challenge was to develop a complete positioning solution that offers low latency, seamless scalability, cost and complexity reduction, real-time precision positioning, and enhanced flexibility to support various tracking requirements.
Solution:
The BG24 low-power Bluetooth SoC is the ideal choice for low-power battery-operated devices. It offers low power consumption, excellent wireless performance, and advanced security features. It supports the use of AoA, AoD, and Channel Sounding for Bluetooth direction finding to achieve accurate direction and distance measurements.
Achievements:
CoreHW has developed groundbreaking RTLS technology, achieving industry-leading precision in positioning while reducing costs for new use cases. By integrating Bluetooth AoA and Channel Sounding technologies, CoreHW's solution supports full-scale AoA deployments for optimal positioning accuracy. It also enables single locator applications that do not rely on multiple locators, allowing for triangulation and trilateration measurements. The integration of AoA for direction and Channel Sounding for distance in CoreHW's single locator solution offers customers a flexible and cost-effective option for precise asset positioning.
CoreHW's RTLS Innovation:
CoreHW is a Finland-based fabless semiconductor company specializing in providing accurate positioning and tracking solutions for assets and personnel in healthcare, hospitality, retail, and logistics industries. Their innovative CoreTag and CoreLocator products utilize CoreHW's patented Gen4 antenna technology, offering plug-and-play hardware solutions that deliver industry-leading RTLS precision (up to +/- 4 inches). CoreTag incorporates the BG24 Bluetooth LE SoC with a battery life of up to 10 years, while CoreLocator integrates AoA and Channel Sounding technologies for building single locator RTLS applications.
In addition to their innovative hardware components, CoreHW's solution integrates with Unikie's RTLS core software, providing essential APIs and flexible software functionalities for configuring and managing RTLS systems throughout their lifecycle. This software enables RTLS vendors to configure and update tags, access real-time tag locations, and manage enterprise-wide deployments. Furthermore, the software facilitates the seamless integration of low-power Bluetooth technology into existing or new multi-technology RTLS systems or other enterprise solutions with accurate real-time tag data.
BG24: Low Power, Longevity, Support for Bluetooth AoA and Channel Sounding:
Silicon Labs' BG24 offers robust processing power and memory capacity to meet the demands of complex RTLS applications and future requirements. Designed for battery-operated devices requiring long-term operation without frequent recharging, the BG24 supports Bluetooth direction finding, including AoA and Channel Sounding technologies, to determine the direction and distance of input signals from multiple antennas, enabling precise device positioning. Additionally, the BG24 leverages industry-leading security features through Secure Vault™ to ensure user safety and protect data integrity within the RTLS system.
After evaluating various SoC options, CoreHW selected the BG24 due to its powerful AoA and Channel Sounding capabilities, low power efficiency, and state-of-the-art security technologies. The BG24 allows CoreHW's innovative solution to operate securely on button cell batteries for several years while enabling seamless integration of additional functionalities into future products.