Bluetooth AoA antenna board squeezes into commercial tracking
The ANT-B11 compact antenna board combines Bluetooth technology with u-blox’s positioning and wireless communication technology to deliver direction finding and 2D indoor positioning.
ANT-B11 can be integrated into commercial tracking solutions, direction-finding applications and indoor positioning in mid-sized spaces.
ANT-B11 joins ANT-B10 which was launched early 2022. Both are designed for indoor location which is currently hampered because technologies such as GNSS do not always perform effectively, said u-blox. ANT-B11 is equipped with u-blox NINA-B411 Bluetooth 5.1 module and runs the u-connectLocate software, which executes the u-blox angle calculation algorithm. Used in conjunction with an application board, ANT-B11 functions as an indoor angle-of-arrival (AoA) anchor point. The angle calculated by the antenna board does not require any additional processing which means it is ready for use at the application level.
Depending on its orientation, ANT-B11 outputs the final azimuth, or elevation angle, in fractions of a second. With this information, it is possible to track assets and plot their positions in applications aiming at 2D visualisation. (The ANT-B10 is for 3D visualisation.)
ANT-B11 is in a compact, 29.5 x 93.5mm form factor to fit into existing enclosures or casings. It can thrive in any direction-finding application, said u-blox. For example, it can be used to follow assets in indoor areas, grant building access and avoid collisions, in industrial, retail and medical environments. In addition, it can be used in indoor spaces for positioning purposes wherein showing the location of an asset in 2D may suffice.
u-blox specialises in positioning and wireless communication technology in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. The company’s services and products let people, vehicles, and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. It offers a broad portfolio of chips, modules and secure data services and connectivity to develop IoT solutions.
The company’s headquarters are in Thalwil, Switzerland and it has offices in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
