New UWB Chip Launches: Nearly 40 Times Faster Than Bluetooth
Canadian Manufacturer SPARK Microsystems Unveils Second-Generation Ultra-Wideband Wireless Transceiver with Breakthrough Performance
Recently, Canadian UWB manufacturer SPARK Microsystems announced the launch of itssecond-generation ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless transceiver, the SR1120. Reports indicate that the SR1120 further solidifies SPARK’s leadership in the data transmission field while significantly reducing power consumption and latency, and enhancing interference resistance compared to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 2.4 GHz radio technologies.
Data Transfer Rates 40 Times Higher Than Bluetooth Chips
SPARK emphasizes that the new SR1120 chip’s data throughput exceeds Bluetooth, withdata rates increased from 20 times to 40 times higher (40.96Mbps)while maintaining established advantages over Wi-Fi performance. The chip offersapproximately 25 times lower power consumption and 60 times lower latency than Bluetooth.
Beyond its powerful data communication capabilities, the SR1120 achieves more competitive ranging performancewith approximately 1/100th of the power consumptioncompared to other UWB products on the market that are solely used for ranging and positioning. Compared to the previous generation SPARK SR1020, the new SR1120 hasextended coverage by approximately 50%and supports multi-antenna configurations using the 6.2 to 9.5 GHz unlicensed spectrum.
SPARK also promises that the chipcomplies with the IEEE 802.15.4ab physical layer standardfor low-energy ultra-wideband communications. The chip includes SPI and quad-channel SPI interfaces and operates with a 1.8-3.3VDC power supply. In its default configuration, it can “aggressively duty cycle,” resulting in “energy efficiency several orders of magnitude higher than traditional Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.”
It’s worth noting that the current maximum transmission rate of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) can reach 2 Mbps. In comparison, the SR1120’s speed is actually only about 20 times faster than Bluetooth. To meet device demands for higher data throughput, the Bluetooth Technology Alliance plans to launch the Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) project based on BLE. Bluetooth HDT technology will provide data transfer rates of up to 8 Mbps, which will further narrow the gap with the SR1120.
Now Available on the Market, But Price Not Yet Announced
According to the official website, the SR1120 can be applied in multiple fields including wireless audio streaming, computer peripherals, wearable devices, robotics, industrial control systems, IoT devices, and even medical interfaces, supporting the development of responsive, efficient, and powerful wireless solutions customized for real-time performance.
SPARK believes that UWB has broken through the long-standing performance limitations of traditional short-range wireless technologies, driving its applications in gaming, edge AI applications, audio, and a wide range of IoT use cases including industrial systems, robotics, and medical devices. In the future, Body Area Networks (BAN) will continue to evolve, integrating implantable medical devices and sensors that transmit neural activity in real-time. Therefore, wireless data transceivers need to accommodate exponentially growing data volumes.
Additionally, SPARK provides an SDK for the SR1120 series designed to work with Visual Studio Code (VS Code). It contains application examples using SPARK Wireless Core and SPARK Audio Core, as well as a BSP for trying these examples on the development kit.
As of the time of writing by Smart Communications Positioning Circle, the SR1120 has officially been released, but the price has not yet been announced. For reference, the previous generation SR1020 kit was priced at $999, including Tx and Rx hardware.
For more topics on UWB and high-precision positioning technology, you are welcome to register for the“IOTE 2025 Shanghai High-Precision Positioning Technology and Application Ecosystem Seminar”to be held in Shanghai on June 19.
