Rohde & Schwarz announced today to have joined the FiRa Consortium as an associate member. FiRa,short for “fine ranging”, is an organization dedicated to growing the UWB ecosystem by ensuringinteroperability between multiple devices through compliance and certification programs. The FiRaConsortium focuses on three core UWB services: hands-free access control, location based services anddevice-to-device services that rely on the latest UWB based secure ranging technology specified by the IEEE802.15.4z.
The advantages of the UWB standard include centimeter-accurate location measurements, allowing fordoors to open when approached with a UWB device or bringing positioning functionality to indoorenvironments. UWB also features secure device-to-device data communications with very low powerrequirements. The very wide bandwidth and very low power density make it easy for UWB signals to sharespectrum with other narrowband and wideband systems without causing interference.
As a leader in wireless device testing, Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with industry partners to develop UWBtest solutions for R&D, certification and production, including essentials like time of flight (ToF) and angle ofarrival (AoA) measurements as well as device calibration procedures. Alexander Pabst, Vice PresidentMarket Segment Wireless Communications, comments: “We at Rohde & Schwarz recognize the power of asecure and reliable UWB technology and are pleased to further strengthen our collaboration with members ofthe FiRa Consortium to establish a strong certification framework.
The R&S CMP200 radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz, for instance, is ideal for solving UWBchallenges in production as well as in R&D. It combines the capabilities of a signal analyzer and generator ina single instrument. In combination with the Rohde & Schwarz WMT software service to implementautomated wireless manufacturing testing and a wide portfolio of shielded chambers, the R&S CMP200offers a complete solution for transmitter, receiver, ToF and AoA measurements in conducted and radiatedmode, compliant to IEEE 802.15.4a/z specifications. The R&S SMM100A is a midrange vector signalgenerator covering up to 44 GHz, and the only in its class to offer a maximum RF modulation bandwidth of 1GHz, thus meeting the requirements to generate broadband signals used by UWB devices in R&D andproduction.
About FiRa Consortium
Headquartered in Beaverton, OR, the FiRa Consortium is a member-driven organization dedicated to thedevelopment and widespread adoption of seamless user experiences using the secured fine ranging andpositioning capabilities of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technologies.
Rohde & SchwarzRohde & Schwarz is a leading supplier of solutions in the fields of test and measurement, broadcast andmedia, aerospace | defense | security and networks and cybersecurity. The technology group’s innovativecommunications, information and security products help industry and government customers ensure a saferand connected world. On June 30, 2020, Rohde & Schwarz had about 12,300 employees worldwide. Theindependent group achieved a net revenue of EUR 2.58 billion in the 2019/2020 fiscal year (July to June).The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and has subsidiaries in more than 70 countries, withregional hubs in Asia and America.
