NXP Semiconductors N.V. has announced that it now offers beta Ultra-Wideband (UWB) development tools from its NXP Trimension portfolio that interoperate with the U1 chip in supported Apple products. The beta development tools will allow developers to kick-start the design of innovative applications that interact with UWB enabled Apple products including iPhone and Apple Watch*, unleashing the ability to create more precise, directionally aware app experiences.
UWB delivers spatial awareness, which is a new dimension of information. Knowing where a device is in relation to other devices, with an extreme level of accuracy, provides valuable location context. With access to Apple’s Nearby Interaction protocol and API, developers will have the ability to leverage the spatial awareness of UWB to build apps that can communicate with accessories simply by being in close proximity to an U1-equipped iPhone or Apple Watch.
NXP’s development tools are based on NXP Trimension SR150 and SR040, a dedicated portfolio of UWB IoT solutions that stand out for their ability to run UWB autonomously with all firmware running on-chip. All PHY/MAC operation is handled within the UWB IC in accordance with FiRa Consortium specifications, helping developers to get solutions to market fast.
By working with regional partners, NXP offers a growing range of tools to access Apple’s Nearby Interaction protocol. The UWB Development Kit by Murata enables a wide range of IoT devices to perform localization tasks or create a setup with multiple UWB anchors. Together with MobileKnowledge NXP further provides a UWB Development Kit with Arduino Connector to bring UWB to IoT devices, such as coin-cell battery-powered trackers and tags. More tools are planned to be released in the coming weeks.
With one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of wireless technologies, NXP is committed to accelerating our vision of a connected world that anticipates and automates. NXP was the first to offer a system-level UWB solution backed by a comprehensive software offering and strong security integration based on NXP’s market-proven embedded secure elements (eSEs), and near-field communication (NFC) integration. The introduction of Trimension expands NXP’s comprehensive connectivity offerings across NFC, Wi-Fi, 5G, and Bluetooth.
U1-enabled iPhone models include iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple Watch Series 6 features the U1 chip
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