RSSI vs. Direction Finding: Which is the Best for Bluetooth RTLS Solutions?

In this video, I'll unpack all the basics of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). We’ll walk through everything you need to know about RTLS as a developer and how to decide between using RSSI and direction finding. Stick around to the end of the video for a step-by-step demo of how to set up a Direction Finding system using Silicon Labs’ Antenna Array Solution!
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:19 RTLS basics
00:34 Asset Tracking Systems
01:33 Indoor Positioning System (IPS)
03:23 RSSI basics
05:14 RSSI pros & cons
06:12 Factors that affect RSSI accuracy
06:49 Examples where RSSI isn’t sufficient
08:19 Direction finding basics
08:42 AoA method
09:17 AoD method
09:55 Single vs. multi-receiver systems
11:12 Factors that affect direction-finding accuracy
11:47 Direction finding pros & cons
13:28 Demo [Silicon Labs Direction Finding Kit]
21:20 Outro
Video Sponsored by: Silicon Labs
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BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY RESOURCES:
📚 Intro to Bluetooth Low Energy [Second Edition: PDF] - novelbits.io/intro-bluetooth-...
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🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Bluetooth Developer Academy - academy.novelbits.io/
MY WEBSITE/BLOG:
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WHO AM I:
I'm Mohammad, Founder of Novel Bits. I help educate developers and engineers on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and how to develop for the technology to deliver products to market faster and more efficiently.
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[@arturoveloz6456]

Excellent explanation and demonstration! Thank you!

[@NovelBits]

Thank you!

[@ferdem01]

Very good demonstration, thanks!

[@msbanda2123]

❤👍

[@ThaboMathasheneMonoto]

Thanks Mohammed! How can I test this if I don't have the kit you are using, but have about 5 or 6 BLE ddevices/devkits (mostly from silabs)?

[@NovelBits]

Unfortunately, you’ll need an antenna board array to do anything with direction finding.

[@ThaboMathasheneMonoto]

@@NovelBits What if I only use RSSI?

[@NovelBits]

I was referring to the direction finding method. For RSSI only, you don’t need an antenna board array and yes you should be able to use the devices you have. You’ll just have to use multiples of them as locators for one or more tags. Not sure though if there are any existing examples from SiLabs for implementing an RSSI based system. I would have to look into that. The algorithm and location engine implementation is where most of the work will be in an RSSI based system.

[@ThaboMathasheneMonoto]

@@NovelBits Thanks

[@julienc.4916]

Excellent video, as usual. On the direction finding technic, is there some limit on the number of tags one receiver can handle ?

[@mislavkulas4422]

yes, but mostly depends of the usage mode/aproach ( connection, connectionless or silabs).

[@julienc.4916]

@@mislavkulas4422 thanks for the clarification. what about in connectionless mode (broiadcasting)? just for positionning application (asset tracking), how many tags we could have then?

[@NovelBits]

Thanks Mislav for the input. 100% agreed. For broadcast applications, you can have a much larger number of tags up to the point where they start to interfere with each other specifically in the advertising channels (37,38,39). I would say maybe 100+ tags is still feasible. But this also depends on the configuration parameters such as advertising interval and channels used.

[@julienc.4916]

@@NovelBits thank you as well for your input, much appreciated.

[@mislavkulas4422]

@@julienc.4916 if i remember correctly on silabs it was limitless and for connectionless around 32 tags (if the receiver board is efr32bg22 and i think limit is because RAM which are used from the stack to sync with the tag)

[@msbanda2123]

After 1 year 😂

[@NovelBits]

Yes I know. We need to publish more videos and more consistently 🙂

[@msbanda2123]

@@NovelBits ✌️👍