Decawave [Now Qorvo] Announces New, Low Price Module Targeting TDoA Tag Applications

Market-first UWB module priced below $10, DWM1004 will reduce total cost of ownership of RTLS solutions

SAN FRANCISCO, CA and DUBLIN, IRELAND – July 24, 2019 – To further democratize access to high performance Real-Time Location System (RTLS) solutions, Decawave today announced the availability of its new DWM1004 module. The new module has been tailored for a single use case – TDoA tags. This optimization, combined with Decawave's market-leading scale – over seven million chips and 350 thousand modules shipped – enables it to be extremely cost-effective at under $10 per module in 10K quantities, while also being highly efficient by delivering more than five years of battery life in typical asset tracking applications.

"RTLS systems should play a cornerstone role in manufacturing facilities and warehouses of all scales but, despite being around for two decades, the market is still in its infancy," said Mickael Viot, Vice President of Marketing at Decawave. "The main reason is the cost of the solutions which have limited adoption to high-end niche applications. Our new module brings the cost of scaling these systems down to a level that makes them affordable to the mass-market."

The need for improved operational efficiencies, traceability, and quality is stronger than ever across industries. RTLS systems enable managers to have a real-time view of their operations through data collected from connected objects such as tools, pallets, forklifts, badges, and collars. These provide the robust and accurate data needed to drive insightful analytics and drive efficiencies at factory and warehouse scales.

Product Details

The new modules are built around Decawave's market leading Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. The DWM1004 features include:

• Decawave's DW1000 chip. Decawave's technology is highly immune to multipath fading, which guarantees high reliability – within 2cm precision – in indoor environments. The 6.8Mbps data rate capability also reduces airtime, enabling the real-time location of thousands of tags, as well as low power consumption for battery-operated devices.
• A STM32L0 MCU with 32K flash. Sufficient to embed Decawave's TDoA tag software, while leaving room for customers to add extra features.
• An integrated accelerometer to enable power management and adaptive blink rates. Combined with the best in class low power consumption of the MCU, those features enable more than eight years of battery life for 1000 updates per day from a CR2450 – 620mAh – battery, removing the need for expensive battery replacement or charging.
• A built-in antenna. The DWM1004 will be FCC certified for Channel 2/5 and ETSI certified for Channel 5 further reducing customers development costs and risks.

Product Delivery

DWM1004 Engineering Samples and its development board will be available at Digikey on July 31, 2019. Certified modules will be available in October 2019 at $9.95 per module in 10Ku quantities from all Decawave's distributors.

About Decawave

Decawave delivers the semiconductors, software and services that enable ultra-accurate, ultra-reliable, indoor and outdoor micro location services anytime, anywhere. Decawave is headquartered in Dublin Ireland, with presence in China, US and South Korea.