Understanding RTLS Technology
Real-time location systems aren't one-size-fits-all. Access our resources below to understand the details and nuances of different RTLS technologies.
Determining indoor location can be achieved in many different ways with trade-offs between accuracy, reliability, and cost. Understanding how these technologies work and their constraints will help you make a more informed decision in selecting the right technology and the right indoor location vendor for your needs.
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How RTLS Works
Measurement Basics of Location Systems: Distance and Direction
A location system does not "see" where an object is. Instead, it measures properties of radio signals passing between devices at known and u…
What are Radio Frequencies (RF) and how are they used for indoor location
Most indoor positioning systems work by sending a signal between the object you're tracking and a known (fixed) point. In radio frequency (R…
Locating Technologies
2.4 GHz for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
2.4 GHz refers to an unlicensed ISM (industrial, scientific and medical) frequency band rather than a single technology. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Lo…
433 MHz for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
433 MHz (more precisely 433.05–434.79 MHz in most regions) is another unlicensed ISM/SRD (short-range device) band, lower in frequency than…
900 MHz for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
900 MHz refers to a group of unlicensed ISM bands that sit below Wi-Fi and Bluetooth's more familiar 2.4 GHz, most commonly 902–928 MHz in N…
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a short-range wireless standard built for low power consumption rather than high data throughput. It operates…
GPS/GNSS for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
GPS (Global Positioning System) is one specific example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), alongside others like GLONASS, Galil…
Infrared (IR) for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Infrared (IR) location systems are a departure from everything else in this series: infrared isn't a radio frequency at all, it's light, sit…
Passive RFID for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Passive RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags have no battery or power source of their own. Instead, a passive tag draws the small amou…
RTK GPS for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning is a correction technique applied to GNSS signals to dramatically improve on the few metres of accurac…
RTLS Comparison Guide
Search "RTLS comparison" and most of what comes up is written by a vendor who sells exactly one of these technologies. The comparison tends…
Ultra-wideband (UWB) for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a radio technology that spreads its signal across a very wide slice of spectrum, typically 500 MHz or more per chann…
Ultrasound for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Ultrasound location systems use sound, not radio, above the upper limit of human hearing, typically in the 20–40 kHz range. Sound travels va…
Wi-Fi for real-time location: how it works, range and accuracy
Wi-Fi's main appeal for indoor location is that the infrastructure is often already there. Most buildings already have Wi-Fi access points i…