Bluetooth Core 6.3 released + Ultraloq joins Aliro
Plus: UWB AoA antenna isolation and Bluetooth LE labels reaching satellites
This Week in Bluetooth & UWB |
May 8, 2026 |
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In This Issue
→ Bluetooth Core 6.3 released
→ Ultraloq is now Aliro-certified → Smart labels reach satellites → UWB AoA needs antenna isolation → Indoor positioning: layered radios |
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From Novel Bits
LogScope: A Better Embedded Log Viewer for VS Code
When your embedded firmware logs get dense, a raw terminal isn't enough. LogScope is a VS Code extension that streams over J-Link RTT or Serial UART, with severity and module filtering, full-text search, automatic crash detection, and 14+ Bluetooth LE HCI packet decoders. Works across Nordic, STMicro, Silicon Labs, NXP, and Infineon.
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Bluetooth LE
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audioXpress
The Bluetooth SIG has unveiled Core Specification 6.3, a bi-annual update packing targeted enhancements for high-precision ranging, scalable interfaces, and efficient radios. Released on May 6, 2026, it refines Channel Sounding for centimeter-level accuracy, expands HCI capacity, and aligns RF limits across Classic and LE modes. Specific additions include Bluetooth Channel Sounding Inline PCT Transfer, PHY-specific RTT Accuracy, and Bluetooth ACP and C/I Limit Relaxation.
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PCMag
Aliro is the latest buzzword in smart home tech. Developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, Aliro is a universal digital key standard. Compatible smart locks will all have near field communication (NFC) built in, the same tech used by your phone's wallet app when you pay at a retailer. Unlike Apple Home Key, Aliro isn't limited to a single platform. Other companies, like Aqara, Nuki, and Schlage, are also jumping on board with Aliro.
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PR Newswire
ULTRALOQ today announced that several of its smart lock models have achieved certification for Aliro, a new open industry standard developed under the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) that enables secure digital keys stored directly in smartphone wallets. The certification spans a variety of deadbolt and latch style smart locks. These locks enable a consistent tap-to-unlock experience across supported smartphone platforms.
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PR Newswire
InPlay Inc., a leading provider of ultra-low-power wireless connectivity solutions, today announced an expanded collaboration with Hubble Network to enable a new class of IN120-based smart labels and wireless sensors with global tracking capabilities across both terrestrial and space-based infrastructure.
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Hackster.io
A cheap ESP32-based indoor GPS alternative that uses Bluetooth LE signal strength to track devices in real time, tested on a moving drone. The technique relies on fixed ESP32 anchors that constantly scan for the tag, measure RSSI, and send that data over Wi-Fi to a central server. Strong signal means closer, weak signal means farther.
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Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
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EDN
Ultra-wideband (UWB) has moved well beyond research labs. For most of this adoption, time-of-flight (ToF) ranging has been sufficient, delivering approximately 10 cm accuracy in line-of-sight environments by measuring signal round-trip time. But system architects are increasingly moving to angle-of-arrival (AoA) techniques, which resolve the angular direction of a tag without requiring additional anchor nodes. The shift exposes a hardware bottleneck that no amount of signal processing can fully compensate for: antenna isolation.
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EE Herald
Murata has announced a set proposal and circuit design support for a discrete configuration that combines the crystal unit XRCGE55M200MZF1BR0 and the thermistor NCU03XH103F6SRL for automotive Ultra Wide Band (UWB) applications. The proposal targets automotive UWB systems used in digital keys, Child Presence Detection (CPD), sensors, and Wireless BMS. The crystal unit XRCGE55M200MZF1BR0 entered mass production in March 2026.
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EE Times Asia
Indoor positioning is no longer a simple race between competing radio technologies. Instead of converging on a single winner, the industry is shifting toward a layered architecture where Wi-Fi, UWB, and Bluetooth each serve distinct roles based on their specific strengths in accuracy, power efficiency, and infrastructure reach. UWB remains the gold standard for stable, high precision, with typical deployments falling in the 10cm to 30cm range under IEEE 802.15.4z implementations.
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P.S. Core 6.3 brings more Channel Sounding refinements for centimeter-level ranging. If you're working on anything that uses Bluetooth ranging in production, I'd love to hear where you've gotten to and what's still rough.
Mohammad Afaneh
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