User guide

D2119 Dart RTLS User Guide 7
1 General Description
The Dart Real Time Locating System (RTLS) Ultra-Wideband (UWB) system is designed for the
tracking of personnel and/or equipment. A base system is defined as one Hub, four or more
Receivers, one or more reference tags, and multiple DartTags for tracking individual assets or
personnel.
In This Section
Concept of operation .............................................................................. 7
Dart RTLS Hub ....................................................................................... 8
Dart RTLS Receiver ................................................................................ 8
DartTags ................................................................................................. 10
Reference tag ......................................................................................... 10
Concept of operation
Dart RTLS uses short pulse Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to determine the precise location
of UWB radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.
Each DartTag repeatedly sends out a packet burst consisting of a short train of UWB pulses, Dart
UWB Receivers receive these transmitted UWB pulses. Receivers are typically located about the
periphery of the area of coverage. Reception by three or more Receivers permits accurate 2-D
localization. If only one Receiver receives a tag transmission, this can report proximity
detection.
To determine the actual tag position from these measurements, the Dart Hub, using calibration
data from a reference tag, determines the differential times of arrival between Receivers.
The Dart Hub performs several other functions as well:
 It serves as a source of DC power to the individual Receivers
 It provides a stable clock reference to each Receiver, allowing individual Receivers to be
frequency-locked for high measurement stability (US Patent 6,882,315).
 It incorporates a graphical user interface (GUI) and communication ports for client access to
the location data.