Angle of Arrival (AoA)

A positioning technique determining tag location by measuring the angle at which signals arrive at receiving antennas. Uses antenna arrays to detect phase or time differences across elements, calculating the signal's incident angle. Particularly valuable in BLE 5.1 systems, enabling sub-meter accuracy without UWB hardware. Accuracy degrades with signal reflections and obstructions.

Positioning technique that determines location by measuring the angle at which signals arrive at antenna arrays. AoA systems use multi-element antenna arrays (typically 4-8 elements in 2D array configuration) to measure signal phase differences and calculate arrival angle. Bluetooth 5.1 and newer support AoA with capable hardware. Theoretical angle accuracy of 2-5 degrees enables 0.5-1 meter position accuracy at 10 meter range, though practical industrial environments often see 1-3 meter accuracy due to multipath.

Key advantages include reduced infrastructure requirements (fewer receivers needed than ranging-based systems) and good performance in areas with obstacles. Limitations include accuracy degradation with distance, sensitivity to multipath reflections from metal surfaces, and requirement for specialized antenna arrays. Commercial BLE AoA systems typically update positions at 1-5 Hz.