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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Challenger UWB is powered by the Raspberry Pi Pico 2040 chip.
- It permits for monitoring accuracy right down to 10cm.
- Low energy consumption makes it good for cell purposes.
Asset monitoring is a giant factor, whether or not that be automobiles, instruments, and even individuals shifting a few web site, and whereas there are a selection of off-the-shelf options obtainable — the Apple AirTag being one which’s very generally used — some wish to construct their very own programs.
And you may. You simply want some {hardware}, some software program know-how, and also you’re able to go. A little bit of equipment I have been experimenting with just lately is the iLabs Challenger RP2040 UWB.
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Because the title suggests, this board is an Adafruit Feather format microcontroller board outfitted with a DWM3000 ultra-wideband (UWB) module and powered by the Raspberry Pi Pico 2040 chip with 8MB of flash storage and 264KB of RAM.
Nice for small-scale programs
These boards aren’t low-cost at about $65 to $75 each, however they’re an excellent possibility for small-scale programs or one thing bespoke that may in any other case value some huge cash (or simply not be doable).
iLabs Challenger RP2040 UWB board.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The DWM3000 permits for object monitoring right down to a precision of 10cm/4 inches. The module is suitable with Apple’s U1 and U2 first- and second-generation ultra-wideband chips, and in addition FiRa-compatible gadgets.
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The board is constructed to be cell, able to being powered by a LiPo battery with a JST connector or USB-C. Energy consumption is tremendous low at solely 75mA when energetic and a minuscule 1.5 μA throughout sleep mode. This implies you possibly can have this operating off a small battery for an prolonged time period.
The board is a superb little bit of equipment. But it surely’s only a board.
You might want to add the smarts
Meaning figuring out deal with Arduino code. A variety of the code you want is on the market from iLabs, and if Arduino is all new to you, there are some great primers to get you began.
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Should you’re used to getting elbows-deep into Raspberry Pi and Arduino tasks, this may all be a doddle for you. Should you’re a beginner and also you’re all for studying, it is a nice undertaking to sink your tooth into.
However when you’re not all for coding and messing about with batteries and potential soldering, you are greatest sticking to off-the-shelf options — both shopper finder tags for iOS or Android (or both) the place the fee is within the tens or tons of of {dollars}, or go full-on pro and spend a number of hundred to a number of thousand {dollars}.
