Node Calibration in UWB-Based RTLSs Using Multiple Simultaneous Ranging

Abstract

Ultra-wideband (UWB) networks are gaining wide acceptance in short- to medium-range wireless sensing and positioning applications in indoor environments due to their capability of providing high-ranging accuracy. However, the performance is highly related to the accuracy of measured position and antenna delay of anchor nodes, which form a reference positioning system of fixed infrastructure nodes. Usually, the position and antenna delay of the anchor nodes are measured separately as a standard initial procedure. Such separate measurement procedures require relatively more time and manual interventions. This paper presents a system that simultaneously measures the position and antenna delay of the anchor nodes. It provides comprehensive mathematical modeling, design, and implementation of the proposed system. An experimental evaluation in a line-of-sight (LOS) environment shows the effectiveness of the anchor nodes, whose position and antenna delay values are measured by the proposed system, in localizing a mobile node.