Evaluation of Ranging Methods for a Reliable Short Range Radio

Inhalt:
Current radio systems are mostly designed for either communication or ranging purposes. During the past decade, several approaches, to merge these former distinct features, have been researched. However, there are currently no cost effective commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products available which simultaneously exhibit both capabilities to a satisfactory degree. This paper describes an abstract architecture of a system (referred to as the SBDist system) which is used for highly reliable and ultra low latency short range communication over distances in the order of a few meters. This system is designed as a means for point to point communication between mobile nodes. The use cases encompass Train Communication Networks (TCNs), Truck - Trailer Communication, Platooning, and coordinated machines in so called smart factories. Based on the modular approach of this system we explore various possible ways to incorporate the ranging functionality, expanding its application to scenarios where nodes do need to measure relative distances to each other. The use case of Automatic Train Pairing is of special interest in the scope of this paper. Furthermore, we show that the ranging subsystem can be used as a radar which enables the system to detect obstacles such as persons.