A Global First! Calterah Dubhe SoCs Achieve FiRa Core 4.0 Certification, Advancing UWB Technology with Industry-Leading Performance
2026-03-13
On March 6, 2026, Calterah was officially awarded the FiRa™ Core 4.0 certification by the international FiRa™ Consortium (Fine Ranging Consortium), becoming the world’s first ultra-wideband (UWB) chip enterprise to have achieved this. From preparation to certification, the process took only one month. This remarkable speed demonstrates the technical prowess of Calterah’s R&D team and their forward-thinking strategy in industry standards.
The FiRa Core 4.0 Specifications and Certification Program were officially launched by the FiRa Consortium on November 20, 2025, marking a significant milestone in UWB technology. This update further optimizes the features related to the IEEE 802.15.4-2024 standard. It aims to achieve seamless interoperability and unlock new possibilities for precise, secure ranging and positioning across various applications.
* Features marked in blue are newly added in the FiRa Core 4.0. certification program.
Building upon its previous FiRa Core 3.0 certification, Calterah’s Dubhe UWB SoC series has now completed certification for several new features defined in the FiRa Core 4.0 Specifications and Certification Program, including UWB Aliro*, AoA measurement based on OWR（One-Way Ranging）, 1 ms slot duration, suspend ranging, etc. These advancements are set to upgrade user experiences in automotive, access control, and IoT scenarios:
-
Support for UWB Aliro Standard: This feature extends UWB applications from automotive to more areas, such as smart locks and access control. The Aliro standard will facilitate cross-brand compatibility, allowing users to unlock doors seamlessly at home and in offices via smart devices.
-
OWR-based AoA Measurement: This feature enables devices to measure the angle of arrival (AoA) via one-way ranging (OWR). This allows for precise spatial perception of other devices (for example, smartphones) to support user-intent interactions such as point-to-control and gesture recognition.
- 1 ms Slot Duration: Shorter slots lead to lower power consumption and support for more simultaneous ranging sessions. 1 ms—the shortest duration—means the Dubhe chips can enable large-scale deployments in environments such as factories or exhibition halls, where devices can coexist and respond stably. The short slot also allows UWB devices to stay in sleep mode longer, lowering power consumption.
-
Suspend Ranging: This feature allows devices to maintain synchronization while pausing data exchange when ranging is not required, which greatly improves connection efficiency and power management in high-density areas like turnstiles or event entrances.
*The Aliro standard is a smart access communication standard released by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). Supported by 14 leading hardware and software companies—including Apple, Google, and Samsung—it aims to break down hardware ecosystem barriers and enable seamless interconnection between smartphones, wearables, and access control systems. Users no longer need to download apps for every brand; instead, they can complete identity verification and unlock doors with mainstream mobile wallets. The standard supports a wide range of use cases, including residential buildings, offices, campuses, hotels, hospitals, etc.
With support for the Aliro standard, FiRa Core 4.0 enables a contactless and seamless connection between home or office doors and mobile wallets. In the era of the Internet of Everything, any object can become a smart node that is perceived, positioned, and interacted with. Specifically, OWR-based AoA measurement allows smart devices to "understand" a user's intentions in pointing and makes robots capable of spatial perception, while the 1 ms slot duration will optimize power consumption and benefit device coexistence. Furthermore, the suspend ranging function ensures smooth throughput even in ultra-dense environments such as airport checkpoints and exhibition venues.
Earning FiRa Core 4.0 certification within just one month demonstrates the depth of Calterah’s UWB expertise. The company has multiple voting members in the IEEE 802.15 standard organization and has contributed key patents and technical proposals. In September 2025, it released a white paper on UWB technology outlining a scalable solution based on the IEEE 802.15.4ab standard. As Vice Chair of the CCC China Market Working Group, Calterah’s UWB product marketing engineer has also actively contributed to discussions in members’ meetings and shared Calterah’s latest innovations. From shaping standards to defining technologies, Calterah remains at the leading edge of the industry.
The Dubhe family features the world’s first 2T4R (2-Transmit, 4-Receive) UWB chip compliant with the next-generation IEEE 802.15.4ab standard. It can serve as both a digital car key for secure communication and a radar sensor for features including in-cabin sensing, kick sensing, sentry mode, etc. This “all-in-one” architecture helps customers simplify system design, reduce costs, and unlock new functionality.
Currently, the outstanding performances of Dubhe chips in sensing and communication have received highly positive feedback across the UWB industry, particularly in the automotive market. Leading OEMs have started the preliminary development of Calterah’s BLE-assisted MMS UWB ranging solution based on the IEEE 802.15.4ab standard. Meanwhile, globally, multiple Tier-1s have set up projects for applying Dubhe chips to both digital keys and radar, with vehicle SOP (start of production) expected before the end of the year. In addition, leveraging Calterah’s expertise in mmWave radar chips for more than a decade and the strong radar capabilities of Dubhe CAL1106, some customers are also developing short-range radar applications, including gesture recognition, child presence detection, seat occupancy assistance, kick sensing, etc.
Calterah Dubhe, the world's first UWB SoC series certified to FiRa Core 4.0, is set to make UWB a part of everyday life—from cars to homes and beyond.
