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Glossary

RTLS Glossary: the key terms of real-time locating systems

The world of real-time location tracking has its own vocabulary. This glossary explains the key terms related to RTLS, wireless technologies, and open standards in a concise and easy-to-understand way, serving as a reference guide from A to Z.
  • 46 Terms
  • Updated June 2026
  • From A to Z

Content

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The Ultimate Guide to Real-Time Location Tracking

omlox

The open standard for interoperability

Industry 4.0 with RTLS solutions from Cavea GmbH
Day, Anchor, Satellite, Zone: many of the terms in this glossary come together on the production floor.

A

Update-Rate

Specifies how often a new position is determined. A high update rate is important for fast-moving objects and real-time control, but it increases the tags’ power consumption and thus affects battery life.

Anchor

Anchors are the direct receivers of the radio signals transmitted by a tag. The system calculates the position based on the received signals. Depending on the technology, these receivers have different names: in UWB, they are called satellites; in AoA, they are called locators.

AoA (Angle of Arrival)

A method for determining position based on the angle of arrival of a radio signal. Special receivers, called locators, measure the angle from which a signal arrives. AoA achieves a high degree of accuracy, with a margin of error of less than one meter.

Asset Tracking

The continuous tracking and monitoring of movable valuables such as tools, containers, vehicles, or equipment. RTLS provides the real-time location data for this purpose.

B

Battery Life

The amount of time a battery-powered Tag or Anchor operates without needing to be replaced or recharged. This is a key factor in total cost of ownership, as replacing thousands of batteries can be expensive. Cavea Mesh achieves up to 10 years of battery life.

Beacon

Another term for a tag, especially in the BLE context. A beacon transmits a radio signal at fixed intervals, which is detected by receivers.

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)

A cost-effective and energy-efficient wireless technology. BLE is often evaluated based on signal strength (RSSI) and is suitable for applications requiring moderate accuracy, such as zone or room-level localization. When combined with BLE AoA, accuracy increases.

BLE 6.0

The 2024 version of the Bluetooth standard. The most important feature for location tracking is “Channel Sounding,” a method for precisely measuring the distance between two Bluetooth devices using the standard 2.4-GHz band.

C

Cavea Mesh

A scalable mesh technology in which all hardware components automatically form a wireless network. The solution is fully battery-powered with a battery life of up to 10 years, requires no wiring, and therefore involves minimal infrastructure costs. It is particularly well-suited for large installations with many tags.

Channel Sounding

A distance measurement method introduced with BLE 6.0 that determines the distance between two devices using two methods: Phase-Based Ranging (analysis of the phase difference across multiple frequencies) and Round-Trip Timing (measurement of the signal’s round-trip time). The two methods can be combined, which improves the accuracy, reliability, and security of the measurement. Depending on the environment, Channel Sounding achieves an accuracy in the range of a few decimeters, positioning BLE as a distance measurement option between classic BLE (RSSI) and UWB.

Complementary Zone

In the omlox standard, this is the zone for RTLS technologies outside the UWB Core Zone, such as RFID, BLE, or GPS. It supplements the precise Core Zone with additional technologies.

D

Digital Twin

A real-time virtual representation of a real-world environment, such as a production facility, a warehouse, or a hospital. A digital twin can only make decisions if it knows in real time where objects and people are located. RTLS provides this data foundation.

Dilution of Precision (DOP)

A measure of how much the spatial arrangement of the anchors affects the positioning error. An unfavorable geometry reduces accuracy, while a well-distributed arrangement of anchors improves it. A low DOP value indicates better accuracy.

E

Echtzeit-Ortungssystem

The German term for RTLS (Real-Time Locating System). A system that continuously tracks the location of objects or people within a defined area in real time.

eKanban

An electronic, data-driven version of the Kanban principle. RTLS data can automatically trigger replenishment processes as soon as materials arrive at a specific location or are running low.

G

Gateway

A gateway is not a direct receiver of tag signals. It typically receives data from Anchorn and forwards the determined location data—for example, to the cloud. Cavea Mesh, among others, uses this architecture.

Geofencing

Defining virtual boundaries within an area. If a tracked tag crosses such a boundary, the system can automatically trigger an action or notification.

GPS

Satellite-based positioning for outdoor use. GPS complements indoor RTLS technologies in areas where no indoor infrastructure is available.

I

IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)​

The networking of industrial devices, machines, and sensors. RTLS is a component of the IIoT and provides the location dimension for networked processes.

Indoor-Navigation

Guiding people or vehicles within buildings where GPS does not work reliably. RTLS technologies such as AoA or UWB provide the necessary location data.

L

Latency

The time interval between a movement and the updated position becoming available in the system. Low latency is crucial for applications that must respond in real time, such as collision avoidance.

Location Engine

The software component that calculates the actual position based on the received signals. Cavea includes its own location engine. Its quality has a significant impact on the precision and latency of the entire system.

Locator

The term used to refer to the receivers (anchors) in AoA technology. Locators measure the angle of arrival of the radio signals.

M

Mesh-Technology

A network architecture in which all hardware components automatically connect to one another and pass data along. This enables large, robust installations without complex cabling, as is the case with Cavea Mesh.

O

omlox

An open localization standard that enables interoperability between tags, anchors, and software from different manufacturers and technologies. omlox is maintained by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI). Cavea hardware is omlox-compliant.

omlox air-interface

The standardized wireless protocol between tags and satellites in the omlox Core Zone. It enables cross-vendor plug-and-play interoperability and is based on IEEE 802.15.4/4z.

omlox Core Zone

The UWB-based zone of the omlox standard for precise localization with an accuracy of less than 10 centimeters. Fixed devices are called “satellites,” and mobile devices are called “tags.”

omlox Hub

The software component of the omlox standard that consolidates data from the various zones. The omlox Hub is a product and must be purchased, for example, through Cavea or another provider.

P

PBR (Phase-Based Ranging)

A method for measuring distance in which the distance is calculated based on the phase difference of a radio signal across multiple frequencies. A transmitter sends out a signal, a receiver sends it back, and this process is repeated across multiple frequencies; the distance is determined from the phase differences between the transmitted and received signals. Phase-based distance measurement is used in various radio systems and is, among other things, one of the two methods used in Bluetooth channel sounding.

Precision

The accuracy with which a system determines a position. Depending on the technology, this ranges from a few centimeters (UWB) to room- or zone-level accuracy (BLE). Along with latency and battery life, precision is one of the three key factors to consider when making a selection.

R

RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification)

A technology for identification and tracking at fixed points such as gates or passageways. RFID is suitable for zone and passage tracking, but does not provide continuous positioning.

RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator)

A measure of the strength of a received radio signal. The signal strength can be used to estimate the approximate distance and, consequently, the location, for example, in BLE.

RTLS (Real-Time Locating System)

A system that continuously tracks and locates objects or people within a defined area in real time. Unlike intermittent scans, RTLS provides continuous location information.

RTT (Round-Trip Timing)

A method for measuring distance based on the time it takes for a signal to travel between two devices (round trip). The distance is calculated from the transmission time and the reception time. The same basic principle also underlies Two-Way Ranging (TWR); in Bluetooth Channel Sounding, RTT is one of the two measurement methods.

S

Satellite

The term for the permanently installed receivers (anchors) in UWB technology and the omlox Core Zone.

Line-of-sight (LOS and NLOS)

Line of Sight (LOS) refers to a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver, while Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) refers to a line of sight obstructed by obstacles such as metal or walls. NLOS conditions can reduce accuracy. UWB is considered relatively robust in such situations.

SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)

A process in which a system localizes itself while simultaneously creating a map of its surroundings. In the omlox standard, SLAM is defined as a separate, self-localizing zone and is relevant for the coordination of humans and machines as well as for autonomous mobile robots.

Switch (Network-Switch)

An active network device that connects the wired components of an RTLS system and forwards data traffic between them. Fixed locators or satellites are often connected via a switch, which can also supply them with power via Power over Ethernet (PoE).

T

Tag

A small transmitter that is attached to the object or person to be tracked and emits radio signals. Tags are the mobile component of an RTLS.

TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

The total cost of ownership of a system over its lifetime, including purchase, infrastructure, and ongoing operation. The battery life of the tags is a key TCO factor.

TDoA (Time Difference of Arrival)

A method for determining position based on the time difference with which a tag signal arrives at multiple anchors. For this to work, the anchors must be precisely time-synchronized. TDoA is considered highly scalable and energy-efficient because the tag only transmits, and thousands of tags can be located simultaneously.

Time of Flight (ToF)

A method for determining position based on the time it takes for a radio signal to travel between a tag and a receiver. UWB uses this method because of its high precision.

Tribrid-Tag

A Cavea Tag that combines multiple technologies in a single device, such as AoA or UWB along with Cavea Mesh, BLE, and RFID. This allows a single piece of hardware to meet a variety of accuracy requirements.

Trilateration and Multilateration

Methods that calculate the position of a tag based on its distances to multiple anchors. The tag’s location is determined from the known anchor positions and the measured distances.

TWR (Two-Way Ranging)

A method that determines the distance between the tag and the anchor based on the round-trip time of the radio signal. TWR does not require time synchronization between the anchors, but it does require more signal exchange than TDoA.

U

UWB (Ultra-Wideband)

A highly precise wireless technology for positioning with accuracy ranging from a few centimeters to decimeters. UWB uses the time of flight (ToF) and is the technology behind the omlox Core Zone.

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