The calculations provided below are intended to provide a rough estimate of the number of Anchors and associated mounting hardware necessary for an installation. The estimates are not intended to replace careful planning and system design.
Information regarding tracking area setup and best practices can be found in Deployment Considerations and Component Placement Guide.
Anchor spacing and placement is one of the most difficult aspects of any installation. The number of Anchors needed to effectively cover an area is dependent on a variety of factors. The calculators below boil those dependencies down to a small number of variables and should provide a starting-point estimate. The estimator starts with a nominal Anchor density based on the area size, then increases or decreases the Anchor count based on environmental information.
The calculators below are accompanied by brief descriptions of each question asked by the calculator.
| Size of the tracking area? | |
| What best describes the tracking area? | |
| --- | |
| Estimated Anchor Count |
Enter the size of the intended tracking area in square meters or square feet. This entry will serve as the base for the total number of Anchors.
Small and medium areas have a minimum recommended number of Anchors: 6 for small areas and 8 for medium areas. Additional Anchors are added based on the following general guidelines:
Larger spaces are generally more open and allow for larger spacing of Anchors in order to cover the same area.
The environment where Tags are being tracked plays a major role in determining the overall Anchor density. Wide-open spaces, where all of the Anchors are visible, require fewer Anchors to achieve the same level of performance. This variable has been boiled down to essentially two variables for the purposes of the calculator:
An “open” space in this context is an area where a user can look from the viewpoint of a Tag and see a large number of the installed Anchors. The space is open in the sense that the UWB signals can travel directly between the Tag and Anchor without any obstructions. A warehouse is an example of an open space. In contrast, an office area (without cubicles) represents a non-open space, where walls exist between the Tags and the Anchor Array.
Similar to the open-area question above, this portion evaluates how much material is present within the space itself. For example, a warehouse is an open space, yet still contains extensive racking used for storage. If the materials stored on these racks are not transparent to UWB signals, they can obstruct line-of-sight between Anchors and Tags, effectively creating signal breaks within the environment.
The output of the above calculator should be adjusted based on the desired level of precision. Systems requiring extremely precise location will require more Anchors, while systems designed for room-level precision can reduce the recommended Anchor count accordingly.
Most applications focus primarily on position in the XY plane and thus can tolerate greater error in the Z (or vertical) axis. However, some applications require vertical axis precision; for example, a user tracking which shelf an asset is placed on would need accuracy in the vertical dimension. To achieve z-axis accuracy, it is necessary to install Anchors with z-axis diversity which increases the overall count needed in a system to provide sufficient geometric variation for precise height calculations.
The environment question above assumes a uniform space. However, some facilities combine different environments - such as office space mixed with warehousing. In these situations, the estimator may not provide an accurate Anchor count. For mixed use-spaces, users should carefully plan their deployment and follow the guidance outlined in the Deployment Considerations and Component Placement Guide to ensure proper coverage and performance.
To increase reliability and precision, it is always beneficial to include additional Anchors in critical areas. The CUWB Location Engine uses all available Anchors to determine XYZ output location. Anchors are weighted based on the UWB signal strength quality of the received Tag beacon. Thus, when LoS between a Tag and an Anchor is occluded, that Anchor is de-weighted in the algorithm. By incorporating more Anchors into the output solution, the system can better compensate for temporary occlusions caused by environmental factors such as body movement, equipment, or other obstructions.
| What best describes the Anchor installation? | |
| Will the installation be in a dusty or dirty space? | |
| Will the Anchors be exposed to water? | |
| --- | |
Recommended Articulating Brackets AB301 |
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Recommended Pipe Clamps AB302 |
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Recommended Truss Clamps AB303 |
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Recommended Flush Mounts AH301 |
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Recommended Box Mounts AH302 |
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Recommended Sealing Kits AH303 |
The total counts shown in this table are taken from the output of the Anchors calculator above. Be sure to enter the appropriate settings in the Anchor calculator before using this Mounting Selection calculator.
There are a wide variety of ways to mount Anchors; users should read the Component Placement Guide for guidance. The responses to this question help determine the type of Anchor mount needed for some of the common use cases and isn’t intended for all installations.
In dusty and dirty environments, it is recommended that users install Anchors using an AH302 Anchor Mounting Box. The AH302 provides an enclosed mounting solution that helps prevent dust and dirt intrusion while offering sufficient space for cable service loops.
If the installation is expected to operate in wet or humid conditions, it is recommended that users install Anchors with an AH302 enclosure sealed with the AH303 Sealing Kit.