The ultra-wideband (UWB) ST64UWB family from STMicroelectronics supports both IEEE 802.15.4z and the upcoming .4ab UWB standard with multi-millisecond ranging (MMS) including narrow-band assistance radio (NBA).
Embedded: ST64UWB to power keyfobs for IEEE 802.15.4ab UWB standard
The new standard offers eight times the range of 802.15.4z and better non-line-of-sight performance for key fob functionality. And the chips address automotive, smart building and smart device applications. And
“The ST64UWB family we announce today is an industry-first system-on-chip supporting the latest ultra-wideband specification, IEEE 802.15.4ab including narrow-band assistance radio, with ultra-precise ranging and sensing,” said Rias Al-Kadi, General Manager, Ranging and Connectivity Division, STMicroelectronics.
“These chips are tailored for automotive, consumer, and industrial applications, providing innovators with a powerful platform for the next wave of ultra-wideband use cases.”
ST64UWB-A100 addresses automotive applications (UWB+NB distance ranging) for ccc (Car Connectivity Consortium) digital keys. ST64UWB-A100 also addresses automotive applications (UWB+NB ranging and radar) with in‑cabin protection, radar sensing and access control. And ST64UWB-C100 addresses consumer and industrial applications (UWB+NB distance ranging), for distance ranging even in NLOS (non-line-of-sight) conditions and with optimised for access control (Aliro).
The devices are now sampling to major Tier 1s and OEMs, says the company.
ST64UWB features
Highlighted features of ST64UWB include:
Single‑chip UWB with precise ranging and radar
IEEE 802.15.4z compatible UWB
IEEE 802.15.4ab with NB‑assisted MMS
High link‑budget, robust ranging
Resilient to body attenuation (back pocket, bag)
Radar for in‑car child presence detection (CPD) and more
Ranging + radar, very low system cost
SESIP L3 secure enclave on chip
Arm Cortex‑M85 high headroom MCU
Supports CCC, ICCE, Aliro, more
You can read more information on the ST website. And you can find STMicroelectronics at Embedded World in Nuremberg at stand 4A.148.
IEEE 802.15.4ab UWB
The emerging IEEE 802.15.4ab UWB standard builds on the existing IEEE 802.15.4z UWB wireless technology, highlights ST. This is used in hands-free digital car keys that unlock a vehicle on approach, for example.
Enhancements enabled by multi-millisecond ranging (MMS) and narrowband assistance (NBA) extend operating range, strengthen connections with devices, it says. Whether carried in bags or rear pockets, for example. And it enables direction finding at close range to better interpret user intent.
The 4ab update also enhances radar mode, improving use cases such as child presence detection (CPD) in vehicles. This is a potentially life-saving feature recommended by Euro-NCAP, the independent vehicle safety assessment organization.
“IEEE 802.15.4ab is the foundation for enabling a new generation of key fobs as part of a digital key system,” said Daniel Siekmann, Head of Car Access HW D&D Team, Forvia Hella.
“It offers more than eight times the range of 802.15.4z and significantly better non-line-of-sight performance, which allows for key fob functionality to reliably perform from a back-pocket or inside a bag. With backward compatibility to 802.15.4z, it provides a practical path to replace legacy HF/LF key fobs with a modern ultra-wideband based architecture, a transition that is further enabled by STMicroelectronics’ new ST64UWB chips.”
Web Editor of Electronics Weekly, he is the author of the Gadget Master and Electro-ramblings blogs and also covers space technology news. He has been working in tech journalism for worryingly close to thirty years. In a previous existence, he was a software programmer.