Bluetooth vs. UWB: Key Differences Explained

This page compares Bluetooth and UWB (Ultra-Wideband), highlighting the differences between them concerning various applications and comparison parameters.

Introduction: Both Bluetooth and UWB are short-range wireless technologies developed to eliminate wired connections and enable mobility. They find use in diverse applications such as audio transfer, data & multimedia communication, positioning for tracking, games, the Internet of Things (IoT), and more. Both technologies are classified as WPANs (Wireless Personal Area Networks).

Bluetooth Technology

The Bluetooth wireless technology is developed and managed by the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group). The specifications are documented in IEEE 802.15.1. Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz band.

Up to 8 devices can communicate in ad-hoc mode, forming a small network called a piconet. Multiple piconets can coexist within the same range. Within a piconet, one device acts as the master, while the others act as active slave devices.

Two or more interconnected piconets form a scatternet, as illustrated in Figure 1. Any Bluetooth-enabled device can establish an instant wireless connection with another Bluetooth device within its coverage range.

To accommodate different ranges and data rates, IEEE has developed various Bluetooth specifications. The following table summarizes the features of different Bluetooth versions, from version 1.0 to version 5.3 (as of this writing). The initial version of Bluetooth was released in 1998.

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) versions were introduced in 2006 to address the power consumption shortcomings of earlier Bluetooth versions.

The following are the benefits or advantages of Bluetooth:

• It offers wireless ad-hoc connectivity between devices, enabling hands-free operation.
• BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) offers lower power consumption in object tracking applications compared to UWB.
• It is widely available in devices such as smartphones, watches, tablets, laptops, and headphones.
• It is easy to use and doesn’t require specialized technical knowledge.
• It offers less interference compared to other wireless technologies.

UWB Technology

UWB (Ultra Wide Band) technology utilizes a spectrum wider than 500 MHz. This provides it with several advantages over narrowband technologies. In 2002, the FCC approved the use of unlicensed spectrum within the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz range for UWB applications.

It uses short-duration EM (Electro-Magnetic) pulses for high-speed data transfer over a wide bandwidth (BW). UWB is emerging as a standard alternative to Bluetooth/BLE for low-power and short-range wireless communication.

UWB EIRP versus frequency spectrum is shown in Figure 2.

The following are the benefits or advantages of UWB:

• It offers very high data rates.
• It offers low power consumption for non-positioning applications compared to Bluetooth.
• It provides better noise immunity and can withstand fading/jamming.
• It can easily penetrate various materials.
• It coexists with other wireless technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
• It uses the TOF (Time of Flight) concept, allowing it to measure the location of UWB-tagged objects with centimeter-level accuracy, even in multipath environments.

Difference between Bluetooth and UWB

Let’s compare UWB and Bluetooth with respect to various applications where these technologies are used, such as positioning, high-speed and multimedia communication, gaming, audio, and the IoT (Internet of Things).

The following table highlights the differences between Bluetooth and UWB based on various parameters.

Summary:

Bluetooth has been widely used for commercial and industrial applications for two decades. UWB is an emerging technology with lower latency and minimal power consumption. It will take time for UWB to become as readily available as Bluetooth in consumer devices and applications.