AN5630

Application note

UWB network topology

Introduction
The first step of every deployment is an offline study of the area to cover all predictable environment constraints. An adapted
UWB network topology is the key to ensure the best UWB communication between all devices and robust global coverage.
This document is a general application note. It is not related to one particular product, like the B-UWB-MEK1 embedding
the B-UWB-MOD1, but provides general information as well as a few examples which can be used for all location systems
developed by BeSpoon.

Figure 1. Overview on the star network topology

Legend
SUB-CELL SUB-CELL
fixed device which transmits the
ROOT beacon frames for the whole -
network synchronization
beacon frames transmitted by the
root
fixed devices which receive
RELAY
RELAY beacon frames from the root and
repeat them
beacon frames transmitted by the
relays RELAY
RELAY
RELAY
RELAY

fixed devices which only transmit

the beacon frames, either from the
root or from one of the relays
ROOT

mobile devices receiving the

synchronization, either from the
root or from one of the relays

MASTER
CELL

AN5630 - Rev 1 - April 2021 www.st.com

For further information contact your local STMicroelectronics sales office.
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General information

1 General information

B-UWB-MEK1 embeds the B-UWB-MOD1, which features the STM32L476JE 32-bit microcontroller based on the
Arm® 32-bit Cortex®‑M4 processor.
Note: Arm is a registered trademark of Arm Limited (or its subsidiaries) in the US and/or elsewhere.

Definitions
Table 1 presents the definition of acronyms that are relevant for a better understanding of this document.

Table 1. List of acronyms

Term Definition

3D_SELF 3D single self-positioning

BLR Beacon-listening rate
HF Hyperframe
PHS Protocol hyperframe size
PSN Protocol slot number
PSS Protocol slot size
RTLS Real‑time locating system
RV Rendez-vous (slot and zone)
SF Superframe
SFI Superframe information
TDMA Time-division multiple access
UWB Ultra-wideband

References
Refer to the following documents for an introduction to the B-UWB-MEK1 and B-UWB-MOD1 products in indoor
location systems:
• Ultra-wideband module for high-precision indoor location (DB4404)
• Evaluation kit for the B-UWB-MOD1 ultra-wideband module (DB4392)
• B-UWB-MEK1 quick start guide (UM2798)
• Modification of the superframe information for UWB products (AN5602)
• SDK advanced documentation

Demonstration software
Contact the local STMicroelectronics sales office or distributor (refer to www.st.com) for the latest software and
associated documentation.

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Topology rules

2 Topology rules

The rules described in this document concern the fixed devices (infrastructure).
The topology starts from a master cell, managed by a root device. Its role is to ensure the time synchronization of
the cell of other devices, by sending a beacon frame at a regular time interval.
The master cell can be composed of one root device and up to 63 other devices (current maximum capacity of
the system). All the devices must be placed in a way they can receive the beacon frame of the root device. The
root device can be placed at any position. Best practices may be to place the root in line of sight (LoS) with other
anchors of the cell to give the best UWB synchronization link and so the best localization precision.
In case the beacon frame of the root device is not available for all devices (if the positions hinder LoS, for
example), the system administrator must choose one or more devices to relay the beacon frame.
These devices are called relay devices also called secondary beacons, up to 15 devices can be chosen for this
role. Then, other devices can be configured to listen to one of the relay devices to compose a sub-cell also called
a secondary cell. Some other sub-cells can be created, synchronized on other relay devices for a highly extended
setup.
Tracked devices also need to receive a beacon frame to be synchronized. They find by themselves (according to
their positions) from which fixed device (root or relay) they may obtain their synchronization.
In Multi-Tag Tracking mode, the use of all relay devices is recommended to optimize the signal quality. In
GPS‑like positioning mode, the use of all relay devices is mandatory.
The exact amount of relay devices depends on advanced protocol settings called Superframe Information (SFI)
and described in the application note Modification of the superframe information for UWB products (AN5602)

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Deployment examples

3 Deployment examples

Single master cell

A UWB network which contains one master cell without sub-cells is the most basic topology. Only one root device
and at least 3 other devices are needed for proper 3D positioning.
Figure 2 shows an infrastructure with five devices (in our case: Anchors):
• Device 10 configured as the root device
• All other devices linked to the root:
– target Ref anchor = 10
Be aware that this is the only example on small scale. The coverage capacity of the system is much higher.

Figure 2. Single master cell

Table 2. One master cell without sub-cells topology

Anchor Target Ref

Anchor Mac address X(m) Y(m) Z(m) UWB Type Beacon ID
name anchor

10 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000A] 5.0 5.0 2.50 Root - -

11 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000B] 0.10 0.10 2.20 - - 10
12 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000C] 8.0 0.10 2.20 - - 10
13 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000D] 0.10 10.0 2.10 - - 10
14 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000E] 10.0 10.0 1.20 - - 10

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Deployment examples

Relay device
Here is an example where the administrator chooses to add a relay device to deal with a localization problem in
the room where device 11 (an anchor) is placed.
In this area, the tracked device has trouble getting synchronized with the root device because of a white obstacle,
shown by the left side of the black arrow in Figure 3. Adding a relay device role to anchor 11 can solve this
issue as the tracked device automatically searches for the best beacon available for synchronization. Device 11 is
configured as shown in Figure 3:
• UWB Type: Beacon
• Beacon Id: 1

Figure 3. One master cell with relay device topology

Table 3. One master cell without sub-cells topology

Anchor Target Ref

Anchor Mac address X(m) Y(m) Z(m) UWB Type Beacon ID
name anchor

10 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000A] 5.0 5.0 2.50 Root - -

11 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000B] 0.10 0.10 2.20 Beacon 1 10
12 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000C] 8.0 0.10 2.20 - - 10

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Deployment examples

Sub-cells
In cases where the area to cover is very large and so all the devices cannot get synchronized with the root device,
sub-cells can be created to extend the range. Each sub-cell is managed by a relay device and all the devices of
the sub-cell are synchronized with it, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. One master cell with sub-cells topology

Table 4. One master cell without sub-cells topology

Anchor Target Ref

Anchor Mac address X(m) Y(m) Z(m) UWB Type Beacon ID
name anchor

10 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000A] 5.0 5.0 2.50 Root - -

11 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000B] 0.10 0.10 2.20 Beacon 1 10
12 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000C] 8.0 0.10 2.20 - - 10
13 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000D] 0.10 10.0 2.10 - - 10
14 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000E] 10.0 10.0 1.20 - - 10
15 [0008:EE08:ACB7:000F] 12.5 4.0 2.5 Beacon 2 10
16 [0008:EE08:ACB7:0010] 16.0 0.1 1.2 Beacon 3 15
17 [0008:EE08:ACB7:0011] 12.5 10.0 2.3 - - 15
18 [0008:EE08:ACB7:0012] 17.0 7.0 2.1 - - 15

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Ask for support

4 Ask for support

Additional information is available from the documents listed in References. All documents may be updated
without notice to individual users beforehand.
For up-to-date support or information about standardized as well as customized solutions, refer to the UWB and
product pages on www.st.com, or to the nearest STMicroelectronics office.

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Revision history

Table 5. Document revision history

Date Revision Changes

20-Apr-2021 1 Initial release.

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Contents

Contents
1 General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Topology rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
3 Deployment examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 Ask for support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
List of tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
List of figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

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List of tables

List of tables
Table 1. List of acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 2. One master cell without sub-cells topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 3. One master cell without sub-cells topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 4. One master cell without sub-cells topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 5. Document revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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List of figures

List of figures
Figure 1. Overview on the star network topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Figure 2. Single master cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 3. One master cell with relay device topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Figure 4. One master cell with sub-cells topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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