The Road to embedded world ’23: Dresden, Germany, Metirionic

By Chad Cox

Production Editor

Embedded Computing Design

January 16, 2023

Blog

The Road to embedded world ’23: Dresden, Germany, Metirionic
Image Provided by Metirionic

In Slaughterhouse 5, Vonnegut used his real-life WW2 Dresden experience to form the plot of one of his most famous works. As a POW in Nazi Germany, Vonnegut witnessed the aftermath the bombing left of Dresden and, well, after destruction, there must be something new, so we visit a different Dresden today and enjoy Abendbrot with our hosts, Metirionic, and learn what they have new for us at embedded world 2023.  

Metirionic concentrates its efforts on RTLS based applications for IEEE, Bluetooth, UWB, and CWFM RADAR that can be implemented in communication stacks such as Bluetooth, WirelessHART, IP500, ZigBee or 6lowPAN. Metirionic follows the phase-based Channel Sounding approach to provide accurate measuring of distance and angles for RTLS solutions.

During your visit to embedded world 2023, stop by Metirionic’s booth, Hall 3A 323a, and witness first-hand the work Metirionic has accomplished with an evaluation platform that enables a combined distance and angle measurement with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

Metirionic’s platform for wireless distance measurement in combination with BLE adds the additional value of using localization to measure distances and directions of sensor nodes while optimizing performance in rugged edge environments where GPS, UWB, RFID, and Infrared have their limitations. It is ideal for environments needing fast, accurate, and efficient measurements like point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, tracking, and radar.

To better account for customer needs, Metirionic developed its MARS (Metirionic Advanced Ranging Stack) to enable signal processing algorithms to determine aaccurate distance and angles on Bluetooth and IEEE802.15.4 devices.

What is Mars?

According to Metirionic, Mars is “the signal processing middleware that optimizes the reliability of any real-time location system.” It consist of the following:

End-to-End fully modular Middleware ​

  • Select only those SW modules that are needed to the final application (point-to-point, Bluetooth ranging, UWB, point-to-multipoint tracking …)​
  • Fine tune parameters per module (fully configurable)​
  • Licensed customized stack ​

Smart partitioning architecture

  • Tailored integration with any protocol network layer (compliant with given latency, limited data transfering time, …)​
  • Clever structuring layers, running on Embedded and/or Cloud, tailored to the HW System capabilities​

Optimized KPIs customized to the end-application​

  • Highest Safety standards in complex environments​
  • Accuracy and/or ranging improvement ​
  • Reduce infrastructure and Facilitate scalability ​

Metirionic will highlight its demo kits such as its DMK-215 that is based on Microchip’s AT86RF215 for wireless measurements that can send data to other communication protocols for easy plug-and-play capabilities.

Industrial use cases demand ranging modules that target different applications based on point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and radar techniques:

  • Outdoor “search and rescue” applications
  • Virtual fencing and collision avoidance mechanisms
  • Position finding, rescue tools for mobile finding applications
  • Asset tracking and facility management
  • Positioning and safe navigation for automated guide vehicles (AGV) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR)
  • Industrial RTLS Underground: Positioning and safe navigation in long tunnels or mining sites where GPS is not available
  • RTLS for outdoor areas: Helping livestock management, tracking, and locating animals

And to end with a Vonnegut quote, “And so it goes…”

For more information, visit https://metirionic.com/

View the data sheet for the Mars Demo kit DMK-215

Chad Cox. Production Editor, Embedded Computing Design, has responsibilities that include handling the news cycle, newsletters, social media, and advertising. Chad graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Cultural and Analytical Literature.

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