What is UWB Chip IC : Top Manufacturers

A UWB chip IC is a semiconductor device that enables Ultra-Wideband wireless communication and positioning capabilities. These chips provide precise distance measurement, secure ranging, low power connectivity, and centimeter level location accuracy, making them suitable for smartphones, wearables, automotive systems, and IoT devices.

Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology is rapidly gaining traction across various industries, thanks to its ability to provide high precision location tracking, secure wireless communication, and low power consumption. UWB chip manufacturers are at the forefront of this technological wave, developing chips that enable devices to communicate over short distances with remarkable accuracy. These chips are finding applications in smart home devices, automotive systems, asset tracking, and even mobile devices for contactless interactions.

UWB (Ultra WideBand) technology has become popular due to its lower latency and wide bandwidth, and it’s being utilized in location-based services, consumer devices, radar, and more. The PHY (Physical) layer and MAC (Media Access Control) layer specifications of UWB are defined in IEEE 802.15.4 and 802.15.4z.

There are two physical layer versions defined in the UWB standard: HRP (High Rate Pulse Repetition Frequency) UWB PHY and LRP (Low Rate Pulse Repetition Frequency) UWB PHY. There are 16 radio frequency channels defined in the standard with EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) levels.

When selecting UWB radio transceiver ICs for specific applications, consider the following technical specifications:

• IEEE 802.15.4 standard version supported
• Frequency range of operation
• Number of UWB radio channels supported
• Antenna (In-built or external), number of antenna ports
• MCU type (STMicroelectronics, Nordic Semiconductor) supported, MCU flash size
• Bluetooth support (Yes/No)
• Motion sensor (Yes/No)
• Intended applications (TWR Tag or Anchor, TDoA Tag or Anchor)
• Number of Tags supported
• Battery life
• Location accuracy
• Ranging accuracy
• Security features
• Interface type (SPI etc.)
• PDoA or AoA support
• Voltage range
• Package size and package type (QFN, WLCSP etc.)

UWB technology offers numerous benefits, including accurate location detection, reliable, secure & fast communication, and low energy consumption.

UWB Radio Transceiver IC Manufacturers or Vendors

The following table lists vendors and manufacturers of UWB Radio Transceiver ICs.

Manufacturers	UWB chips with part numbers and features
Apple	Part number : U1 chip
	Features : It supports IEEE 802.15.4z, UWB HRP PHY mode, supports airdrop (used to point phone towards devices and share files) and location tracking. Development kits from NXP and Qorvo interact with Apple U1 device. Refer developer.apple.com for more information.
Qualcomm	Snapdragon 888 : It is primarily known for its 5G and AI capabilities, which integrates UWB technology for precise ranging and spatial awareness, particularly in smartphones and other mobile devices. This chip allows for highly accurate location tracking, supporting advanced applications like device to device communication, AR/VR experiences, and seamless connectivity in smart home systems.
Qorvo	DW1xxx and DW3xxx UWB transceiver ICs
	Features : Supports different frequency bands, UWB channels, data rates and are available with or without micro-controller unit (MCU) etc.
	Example : DW1000 supports 3.5 to 6.5 GHz band, 1/2/3/4/5/7 channels, 1 antenna port, IEEE 802.15.4z standard, proprietary + AES security, < 10 cm range accuracy and 110Kbps/850Kbps/6.8Mbps data rates, SPI interface etc.
	Example : DW3220 supports 6.5 to 8.0 GHz band, 5/9 channels, 2 antenna ports, IEEE 802.15.4a/802.15.4z-BPRF etc. Refer qorvo.com website for more information and other UWB transceiver ICs and UWB development kits.
NXP	Part numbers : SR040/SR150, NCJ29D5
	Features : SR040/SR150 supports IEEE 802.15.4z and HRP UWB PHY mode, NCJ29D5 supports IEEE 802.15.4z and HRP UWB PHY mode. Other products : There are other ICs under the family “Trimension” such as OL23D0 and SR100T. Refer nxp.com website for more information.
Imec	Part number : ULP IR-UWB Radio
	Features : Supports IEEE 802.15.4z and HRP UWB PHY mode etc. Refer imec-int.com website for more information.
Shenzhen Giant Microelectronics called GiantSemi	Part number : GT1000
	Features : Fully integrated UWB SoC with RF/Baseband/protocol/MCU; SoC is compliant to standards IEEE 802.15.4, IEEE 802.15.4z, FiRa; supports 4 to 9 GHz frequency range and different data rates etc.
3db Access	Part number : 3DB6830
	Features : Supports 6 to 8 GHz range, <10 cm accuracy, <1 ms fast ranging, >120 meters LOS range, IEEE 802.15.4f compatible, LRP UWB PHY mode etc. Refer 3db-access.com website for more information.
Zebra Technologies	The company manufactures UWB tags, UWB hub, UWB sensors etc. Refer zebra.com website for more information.

Summary

A UWB chip IC enables precise positioning, ranging, and secure wireless communication. Leading manufacturers develop UWB chips for smartphones, wearables, automotive electronics, smart homes, and industrial IoT applications.