NTNU – Project – EmLogic AS

NTNU - Project

Bluetooth Direction Finding and Positioning

The latest versions of the Bluetooth standard allow for direction finding of the incoming signal (AoA – Angle of Arrival). This is made possible by adding a section of unmodulated carrier in the transmissions and then receive this signal on an antenna array. By processing the signals received on the different antenna elements the direction of the transmission source can be estimated. Development kits available today gives access to such direction estimates and this opens for a variety of applications.

Project

For this project the student shall demonstrate a system where a position estimate is computed from Bluetooth direction finding data combined with data from an accelerometer. The project shall cover theoretical considerations on the achievable performance, present a solution for this system and finally present results for the position estimate on the implemented solution. The student may define parts of the project according to area of interest. For the topics that are not the focus of the project existing solutions such as development kits may be used. The list below shows topics that can be covered in the project. It is expected that the student covers some of these points but not all.

1) Build Bluetooth Tag / Sensor Card to be positioned

a) Design of HW or selection from available modules

b) Assemble the HW solution

2) Embedded SW

a) Drivers

b) Data collection

c) Data storage and transmission of accelerometer data to PC

d) Time tagging of accelerometer data and Bluetooth direction data

e) Set up the Bluetooth module to send packets for direction finding and ensure that it communicates with the antenna array unit

3) DSP

a) Filtering and integration of data from the two sources

b) Visualization of results without real time performance

Master Thesis

The project can be continued as a master thesis where additional topics are covered. This will be evaluated together with the student and can include for example prediction techniques and real time tracking and visualization.

Bluetooth AoA Development Kit

If the project does not cover design and assembly of HW, a development kit for Bluetooth AoA may be used. This can for example be the Insight SiP ISP1907-AoA-DK as shown below.