Samsung announced its first ultra-wideband (UWB) chipset, the Exynos Connect U100. With single-digit centimeter accuracy, the new UWB solution is optimized for use in mobile, automotive, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, offering precise distance and location information. Samsung also unveiled ‘Exynos Connect,’ a new brand that consolidates its short-range wireless communication solutions, such as UWB, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi that are essential in facilitating an increasingly hyper-connected world.
“Our Exynos Connect U100 combines sophisticated ranging and positioning capabilities with strong security to enable hyper-connectivity between people and everyday objects, fueling a range of new applications in positioning and location tracking,” said Joonsuk Kim, Executive Vice President of the Connectivity Development Team at Samsung Electronics. “Building on our technology leadership in communications technologies, we are committed to driving innovation in short-range communication solutions to transform the way we connect and relate to the world around us.”
UWB is a short-range wireless communication technology that operates over a broad frequency spectrum, allowing for fast data transfers at low power. With its ability to capture highly accurate spatial and directional data, UWB is growing in popularity across various industries including those that deal with remote payments, smart keys, smart homes, and smart factories.
Leveraging time of arrival (ToA) and 3D angle of arrival (AoA) measurements, Samsung’s Exynos Connect U100 provides an accuracy of single-digit centimeters and under five degrees. This makes it especially useful when tracking location in challenging indoor environments where GPS is unavailable as well as for AR and VR applications that require exact and real-time tracking of moving people. The U100 integrates radio frequency (RF), baseband, embedded Flash (eFlash) memory, and power management IP into a single chip, making it ideal for use in compact devices.
Through its power-saving mode, the U100 can maximize the battery life of mobile and automotive solutions as well as IoT devices like smart tracking tags that run on batteries with limited power capacity. For reliable communication, the U100 is also equipped with a scrambled timestamp sequence (STS) function and a secure hardware encryption engine to prevent external hacking.
Samsung’s Exynos Connect U100 has been certified by the FiRa Consortium, an industry-led non-profit organization that certifies UWB products for conformity to interoperability standards. The U100 also complies with the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key Release 3.0, a standard designed to store, authenticate, and exchange digital keys for vehicles, enabling U100-equipped smartphones to securely communicate digital key information with vehicles.
Spatial Awareness in Digital Signage
The Exynos Connect U100 may have a significant impact on the digital signage industry, enhancing the overall experience and enabling new functionalities. With UWB’s highly accurate positioning capabilities, digital signage systems can deliver personalized, context-aware content to users based on their location and proximity to the sign, leading to more engaging and relevant content for users and improving the overall effectiveness of digital signage campaigns.
Additionally, UWB can enable new ways of interacting with digital signage, allowing users to engage with signage content using their UWB-enabled smartphones or devices. This can create more immersive experiences and provide additional information or promotional content based on user interactions. Furthermore, UWB technology can offer valuable data on user proximity, dwell time, and foot traffic patterns around digital signage installations, helping businesses optimize content, placement, and overall strategy to maximize the impact of their digital signage efforts.
In large indoor spaces like shopping malls, airports, or museums, UWB-enabled digital signage can provide highly accurate indoor navigation services, assisting users in finding their way and improving the overall visitor experience. In summary, the Exynos Connect U100 and UWB technology can significantly enhance digital signage systems by enabling more personalized content, better user engagement, valuable insights, and improved indoor navigation services.
