Bluetooth SIG Announces Direction Finding Support
| Improved positioning accuracy by detecting direction in the century
Nordic's nRF52811 is expected to be released in late 2019.

On January 28, the Bluetooth SIG announced Bluetooth Core Specification version 5.1, which supports direction finding.
This feature can enhance the existing Bluetooth Location Service by improving the accuracy of Real-Time Locationing (RTLS) and indoor positioning systems supported by Bluetooth wireless technology.

Until now, Bluetooth location services have used signal strength to determine indoor location and calculate distance between devices in applications such as proximity marketing, personal "Find Me" tags, and asset tracking.

By adding direction finding capabilities to these systems, devices can improve location accuracy by determining the direction of signals from other Bluetooth devices in addition to distance information.

Kjetil Holstad, product manager for short-range connectivity at Nordic Semiconductor, said:“Nordic is pleased to be able to offer customers enhanced Bluetooth capabilities that will enable more accurate location information in Bluetooth positioning applications,” he said.

He continued, “Demand for accurate location information services is growing not only in the consumer sector but also in the B2B sector,” and explained, “The new Bluetooth feature presents new possibilities for customers to implement more advanced location information systems, enabling them to determine not only approximate distances but also three-dimensional directions.”

“Nordic’s R&D team not only contributed to the standardization of Bluetooth 5.1, but is also supplying the new nRF52811 device based on our RF52 Series that supports all the latest features of Bluetooth 5.1,” Holstad added. “Going forward, all Nordic Bluetooth devices will fully support the new Bluetooth 5.1 specification.”

The nRF52811 is already sampling to key customers. General availability and a fully-featured Bluetooth 5.1-certified solution are scheduled for release in late 2019.