Bluetooth beacons have always inspired marketing specialists and developers, using it to position objects that cannot use GPS due to a lack of line of sight. In recent years, the Bluetooth SIG has introduced novel indoor positioning methods, which we will look at in this article. One of the newer technologies is channel sounding, which we will try out in practice.

The use of standards-driven implementations is preferable to self-built or proprietary systems, if only because the — certainly not beyond all criticism — Bluetooth SIG guarantees a certain consistency in implementations due to its market power.

The experiments discussed here are based on Silicon Labs technology. However, while you are reading this article, other manufacturers are likely already delivering their microcontrollers compatible with these methods. Also, it is expected that smartphone manufacturers will soon “follow suit,” so that over the next few years a comprehensive positioning ecosystem will develop b...