Test and Measurement: New Bluetooth spec includes channel sounding

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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) has released a new specification that includes channel-sounding capabilities with “true distance awareness” for fine-ranging use cases.

“Bluetooth Channel Sounding will enable a standards-based, secure approach to reliable and accurate distance measurement and many types of products will benefit,” the organization said in a blog post about the latest spec.

Silicon Labs has already announced support for the capability on its xG24 chips, saying in a release that the new feature “enhances the accuracy and security of Bluetooth device-ranging capabilities.” Silicon Labs said that it is able to provide location accuracy of less than a meter with the new Bluetooth spec.

Silicon Labs explained that previously, Bluetooth Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) was used for location but relied on estimations and was susceptible to radio frequency issues such as signal obstruction or multi-path that could reduce its accuracy. Bluetooth channel sounding, it added, uses both Phased-Based Ranging (PBR) as a primary means of establishing location and Round Trip Time (RTT) as a secondary ranging method to double-check and verify that PBR measurements.

“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, SVP of the Industrial and Commercial Business Unit at Silicon Labs.

In other test news:

–Opensignal recently looked at the international roaming experience, and the results were lackluster. Roamers, Opensignal found, “spend considerably more time on 3G and 2G networks” than local customers—and 60% less time on 5G. The disparity “is likely due to limited 5G coverage, the absence of 5G in international roaming agreements, and operators’ network steering practices that often prioritize local users,” it posited. Meanwhile, travelers tend to rely more on Wi-Fi than local mobile users, and around 11% of roamers are “silent,” or don’t use mobile networks at all while roaming internationally. More details and analysis from Opensignal here.

–Anritsu has boosted the capabilities of its Signal Quality Analyzer-R MP1900A to include USB4 Version 2.0, with data transmission speeds of 80 Gbps for large data transfers such as high-definition video. Anritsu said that it is seeing “increasing demand for high-capacity transmission of 4K/8K HD video and high-speed communications between AI-based IoT devices,” which require high-speed data transfers between mobile devices, PCs and peripherals.

The test company noted that the USB4 v2 data transfer speed is twice that of USB4 v1, for transfer via USB-C cables.

-Five strategic partners including Airspan, Cocus, Cyrus Technology, Frequentis and GCT Semiconductor are focusing on the wireless ecosystem at 450 MHz for utilities. Airspan has a new Utilities Lab in Warsaw, Poland with an initial focus on an end-to-end demonstration of a 410/450 MHz system. The lab is meant to serve as a “practical demonstration and testing ground for the 450 MHz technology” and showcase integrated capabilities from the five partners, according to a release. GCT is providing LTE and 5G RF modules, Airspan is offering its Open RAN macro solutions, with system integration and core network services from Cocus plus rugged phones and industrial devices from Cyrus Technology; Frequentis, meanwhile, provides mission-critical voice/data/video as part of an integrated offering.