What is the expected range for ANT on nrf52832?

[vishal.roy]

I would like to perform an OTA on the DWM1001 board which has a nrf52832.Where can i get the details an the range that can be achieved with employing ANT.Are there any test results i can look at.

[Jørn]

Hello Vishal.roy

The range of the nRF52832 depends on several factors. With its +4dBm output power and -96 dBm sensitivity it has a theoretical maximum range of approximately 1km, however this is without any additional loss or noise sources. Losses from heat dissipation, impedance mismatch, antenna efficiency, channel fading etc. as well as additional noise sources near the receiver will all degrade the SNR of the received signal, which reduces your range. A 6dB loss corresponds to a halving of your range.

It is extremely difficult to say how long range you will end up with as the losses above are completely dependent on the quality of the design and the environment in which the device will be used. You will likely experience more loss in an office building compared to an open rural outdoor area. If it is a handheld device the presence of a hand will detune the antenna, unless the antenna is specifically matched for it. The best way to assess your range is to create a prototype and perform tests in the same environment as the device will be used.

Best regards

Jørn Frøysa

[vishal.roy]

Hi Jorn, Got your point.Sure will be doing some testing after prototyping and check on weather to select UWB or BLE for OTA.The reason I had the question was we are really inclined to using DFU OTA provided by nordic rather than re invent the entire OTA process over UWB.I was hoping to get some test results which you may have carried out in house under the above said conditions and view those results to get a grip on the expected range, ball park figures.

Regards Vishal