Silicon Labs has announced its support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding technology on the company’s xG24 platform. Bluetooth Channel Sounding is a new protocol stack designed to enable secure and precise distance measurement between two Bluetooth Low Energy 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 revolutionises 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.”
By helping 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-metre, 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, pet trackers, and in industrial and commercial applications like geofencing, vehicle keyless entry, and access control – all while delivering accurate, secure, and dependable Bluetooth ranging services.
Additionally, Bluetooth Channel Sounding offers a more convenient and flexible ranging solution for applications that already use Bluetooth LE. In such cases, it can be implemented without the need for extra hardware and design space.
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