Developing multi-radio IoT devices has always been a complex challenge. Achieving the perfect balance between size, power consumption, and connectivity performance demands precise RF engineering—especially when integrating cellular, GNSS, and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi into a compact form factor.

The Nordic Thingy:91X is the latest battery-operated cellular IoT prototyping platform, designed to streamline development while offering industry-leading connectivity across LTE-M, NB-IoT, GNSS, and Bluetooth LE/Wi-Fi. 

By integrating Ignion’s Virtual Antenna® technology, the Thingy:91X showcases how small a multi-radio IoT device can be while still delivering outstanding RF performance. The platform features three cutting-edge Ignion antenna components—TRIO mXTEND™, DUO mXTEND™, and NANO mXTEND™—each optimized for seamless multi-radio operation. 

The Thingy:91X is built for rapid IoT development, enabling seamless testing of cellular and location-based applications with robust connectivity and sensor integration. 

🚀 Standout Features: 

✅ Multi-radio support – LTE-M/NB-IoT/NR+/NTN*, GNSS, Bluetooth LE, and Wi-Fi. 

✅ Global certification – FCC (USA), CE (EUR). 

✅ Wi-Fi locationing powered by the nRF7002 companion IC. 

✅ Full suite of environmental sensors – temperature, humidity, air quality, and magnetometer. 

✅ Low-power accelerometers and IMU for motion tracking. 

✅ Rechargeable Li-Po battery (1350 mAh) for extended prototyping. 

✅ Expandable via Qwiic, STEMMA QT, and Grove connectors. 

The Thingy:91X’s versatility enables a wide range of IoT applications: 

✅ Asset Tracking & Logistics – Real-time tracking via GNSS, cellular, and Wi-Fi positioning with cloud integration for fleet management. 

✅ Smart Cities & Infrastructure – Monitor air quality, environmental conditions, and urban mobility with low-power sensors. 

✅ Predictive Maintenance & Industrial IoT – Track machine health, vibrations, and environmental parameters for real-time analytics and preventive maintenance. 

✅ Wearables & Medical Devices – Measure motion, environmental exposure, and health metrics while ensuring long battery life. 

While the Thingy:91X excels in connectivity, integrating multiple radios into a single compact design poses significant RF engineering challenges. Traditional antenna solutions require: 

🚫 Large PCB real-estate, and large separation between antennas to avoid coupling,

🚫 Multiple hardware iterations before getting it right,

🚫 Careful tuning to minimize interference between cellular, GNSS, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.

Without an innovative antenna solution, these challenges can limit wireless range, slow development & certification, increase power consumption, and reduce reliability. 

To solve these RF integration hurdles, Nordic Semiconductor selected Ignion’s Virtual Antenna® technology, offering a revolutionary approach to compact and high-performance antenna design. 

✔ Enables ultra-small form factors without compromising RF performance.

✔ Optimizes multi-radio operation, ensuring strong signal quality across all bands.

✔ Provides flexible tuning, allowing developers to optimize performance without hardware modifications.

✔ Accelerates certification and compliance, ensuring seamless RF integration.

The Thingy:91X integrates three Ignion antenna solutions—TRIO mXTEND™ for cellular, DUO mXTEND™ for GNSS and Bluetooth, and NANO mXTEND™ for additional compact wireless performance. By demonstrating how Ignion’s Virtual Antenna® solutions support high-performance RF in a miniaturized device, the Thingy:91X proves that IoT designs can be smaller, yet still deliver reliable, multi-radio connectivity.

With Thingy:91X, developers can prototype IoT applications instantly. But how can they ensure top-tier RF performance before finalizing hardware design?

This is where Ignion’s Oxion™ platform plays a crucial role.

🔹 Step 1: Explore Thingy:91X Capabilities – Use Thingy91X as a reference to validate multi-radio performance before moving to a custom design.

🔹 Step 2: Feasibility Study with Oxion™ – Run a feasibility analysis on Oxion™ to simulate antenna performance for your PCB layout and device requirements.

🔹 Step 3: Seamless Transition to Custom Design – Once feasibility is confirmed, integrate Virtual Antenna® technology into your custom hardware, ensuring fast and reliable RF performance.

By leveraging Thingy:91X as a testbed and Oxion™ for design validation, IoT innovators can drastically reduce development time and bring multi-radio devices to market faster.

With Thingy:91X, Nordic Semiconductor and Ignion have pushed the boundaries of compact multi-radio connectivity. Now, any developer can test and validate their designs without the complexity of custom RF solutions. 

🔹 Test your design on Oxion™ → Try it now 

🔹 Learn more about TRIO mXTEND™ → Discover TRIO mXTEND™ 

🔹 Get the Thingy:91X → Buy from Nordic 

The future of seamless IoT connectivity is smaller, smarter, and more efficient than ever.  

*Currently covers LTE-M/NB-IoT 698-960 + 1710-2200 MHz and NTN S-band 

The need for seamless, multi-band communication is pushing the industry toward multi-radio antenna technology, offering unparalleled performance and flexibility. In today’s rapidly evolving IoT landscape, connectivity is everything. As devices become more sophisticated and integrate multiple wireless technologies, the limitations of traditional embedded chip antennas become increasingly apparent. 

Conventional chip antennas have long been a staple in wireless design. These chip antennas are optimized for specific frequency bands and often require careful PCB layout, external tuning, and custom design modifications to ensure proper operation. Getting these integration choices right is what our IoT antenna design guide covers step by step. While they provide reliable performance within a narrow frequency range, achieving multi-radio performance that simultaneously supports Cellular, GNSS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LPWAN is notoriously difficult. 

✔ Limited frequency adaptability – Fixed resonance restricts multi–band functionality.
✔ Increased design complexity – Requires additional RF expertise and tuning efforts.
✔ Higher component count – Multiple antennas needed for different wireless standards.
✔ Interference issues – Co-located antennas increase signal overlap and performance degradation. 

As IoT devices demand more from their connectivity solutions, these limitations are no longer viable. 

Multi-radio antenna components offer a single, compact solution capable of handling multiple frequency bands without sacrificing performance. Unlike traditional chip antennas, multi-radio antenna technology is designed to work efficiently across a broad range of frequencies and wireless technologies, making them ideal for smart meters, asset tracking, industrial IoT, and automotive telematics.

✅ Space Efficiency – A single antenna component replaces multiple discrete antennas, reducing PCB footprint.  
✅ Simplified Design – No need for intricate tuning; works off-the-shelf with adjustable impedance matching.  
✅ Reduced BOM Costs – Fewer components mean lower costs and streamlined manufacturing.  
✅ Optimized Performance – Supports Cellular (4G, 5G, NB-IoT, LTE-M), GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), and Wi-Fi/BLE with minimal interference. 

At Ignion, we have been at the forefront of the multi-radio revolution, with most of our Virtual Antenna® components offering multi-band support. Our latest innovation, OMNIA mXTEND™ (NN03-410), is our first triple-radio antenna component, designed specifically for Cellular, GNSS, and Wi-Fi/BLE in a single component. 

OMNIA redefines wireless design by: 

• Enabling simultaneous multi-radio operation in a compact form factor. 

• Eliminating the need for multiple antennas, cutting design complexity and costs. 

• Offering tunable performance across a wide frequency range (400 MHz – 10,600 MHz). 

• Ensuring global compatibility for next-generation IoT devices. 

But what does this mean in practical terms? How does OMNIA compare to traditional chip antennas? 

As IoT devices continue to evolve, multi-radio antenna components are no longer a luxury—they’re a necessity. Whether it’s for asset tracking, smart metering, or industrial automation, a single, high-performance SMD antenna that supports multiple radios is the key to unlocking seamless, scalable, and cost-efficient connectivity. 

Ignion is leading the charge with OMNIA mXTEND™ and our full range of Virtual Antenna® components, making multi-radio integration simpler than ever. If you’re looking to future-proof your wireless design, it is time to rethink traditional chip antennas and embrace the power of multi-radio solutions. 

Ready to simplify your design and maximize connectivity? Explore OMNIA mXTEND™ and our full portfolio of Virtual Antenna® solutions today. 

From enabling smarter homes to improving security on vehicles, Ultra-Wideband technology provides a foundational technology for enhancing connection. UWB is transforming wireless communication by enhancing location tracking precision.

This technology delivers high accuracy, through stable transmission with almost no interference. Its role will only grow as demand for context-aware applications expands.

According to Roots Analysis, the UWB global market will reach USD 15.64 billion by 2035. This guide breaks down what ultra-wideband is used for and why it matters.

Ultra-wideband is a fast, low-power, short-range radio technology that operates across a wide frequency range (3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz). And its design ensures precise distance and positioning with high-speed transmission of data.

UWB transmits ultra-short-duration pulses, typically nanosecond-scale, over a wide bandwidth greater than 500 MHz. This pulse-based signaling is what enables its high precision and low interference, setting it apart from continuous wave-based wireless technologies.

Thanks to that, Ultra-Wideband technology positions perfectly for low-power, high-precision applications and indoor positioning systems.

UWB operates using signals through narrow nanosecond-scale pulses. It measures the time it takes for a radio pulse to travel between devices, achieving sub-10 cm precision. This capability allows UWB to outperform traditional positioning technologies, like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

👉 Cover any Ultra-Wideband frequency with Virtual Antenna®

Understanding how UWB works helps clarify why ultra-wideband applications outperform traditional wireless alternatives. When two UWB antennas come into proximity, they initiate a process called “ranging.” It calculates the time-of-flight (ToF) between devices, measuring the roundtrip time of challenge-and-response signals. The technology allows a direct connection between two different devices by utilizing a large channel bandwidth.

Besides that, UWB’s short bursts spread over a wide range of frequencies. This increases the resistance and reduces the chances of overlapping with other signals from Wi-Fi, LTE, or Bluetooth.

This precision is central to many UWB applications in industrial, automotive, and healthcare environments. UWB enabled devices can determine the exact location of an object with centimeter-level precision. This technology can also detect whether it is stationary or moving, as well as in which direction.

UWB’s use of ToF technology and its broad frequency spectrum ensures superior performance for applications that demand:

• High Precision: Sub-10 cm accuracy for positioning.
• Low Power Consumption: Ideal for devices with long battery life requirements.
• Security: Reliable and interference-free communication channels.

Unlike traditional wireless protocols, Ultra-Wideband technology doesn’t just track location; it measures distance with remarkable accuracy. GPS technology, for example, performs poorly indoors because of limited satellite signal visibility. UWB on the other hand excels in environments like factories, airports, and parking garages.

👉What is GNSS: Exploring GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and Beidou

This is one of the core reasons ultra-wideband applications are expanding into safety-critical and performance-driven industries. Other technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Wi-Fi tend to rely on signal strength to estimate location. And this method can vary by several meters as a result of environmental factors. Even advanced BLE techniques like channel sounding and Angle of Arrival (AoA) are improving spatial awareness, but they still fall short of the sub-10 cm accuracy UWB can consistently deliver.

Meanwhile, technologies like RFID are great for tagging, but this technology doesn’t support real-time tracking.

Ultra-Wideband takes a different approach and reaches centimeter-level accuracy to become reliable in environments that need pinpoint precision. So, if your product requires the exact position of something within a specific spot, UWB is the technology that achieves this level of accuracy.

Ultra-Wideband applications are no longer limited to niche use cases. Its impact is relevant across a wide range of different industries. UWB applications go from consumer electronics and automotive to healthcare, logistics, and industrial automation.

What these sectors have in common is the need for precise spatial awareness, secure communication, and real-time responsiveness. These capabilities are where UWB performs remarkably well.

Whether it’s improving security, streamlining operations, or enabling new types of user interaction, UWB enabled devices are quietly powering a shift toward more intelligent and responsive environments. If you’re wondering what UWB is used for, here are the top applications across key sectors.

Mobile and Consumer Devices

UWB enabled devices like modern smartphones are innovating the way they interact with the world around them. By enabling precise device-to-device communication, it supports features like spatial awareness, secure file sharing, and proximity-based experiences.

This technology is also becoming more relevant for smart home ecosystems, where it facilitates more intuitive and seamless control. Through smooth wireless interaction between devices, verifying users based on their proximity, or allowing hands-free access to home systems, Ultra-Wideband offers a new level of intelligence to consumer technology and sets a new standard for automation in connected living spaces.

Automotive Industry

Automakers are increasingly integrating UWB into digital key systems. This way, it helps prevent relay attacks by verifying a user’s exact location before unlocking the vehicle. This same precision enables hands-free entry and ignition, improving both user experience and vehicle security.

Ultra-Wideband also powers features like remote parking assistance and precise vehicle tracking in large or crowded areas. This technology supports crucial automotive functionalities such as collision avoidance, tire pressure monitoring, anti-theft detection, and even child seat recognition. The role that UWB has and could have shown how deeply it’s embedded in the future of safer mobility.

Industrial RTLS environments

UWB plays a crucial role in Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) in manufacturing and industrial settings. Used to track assets with high accuracy and protect workers through location-aware safety systems, it also guides autonomous mobile robots or Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) with spatial precision.

It also strengthens predictive maintenance by ensuring every asset’s status and position is always known. As manufacturers race toward Industry 4.0, Ultra-Wideband is proving to be the connective tissue for smarter, cleaner and safer industrial operations.

Precision to Improve Patient Care

In modern healthcare environments, tracking assets and people with pinpoint accuracy can become the difference between reactive and proactive care. UWB enables hospitals to monitor the real-time location of critical medical equipment such as ventilators and infusion pumps. It reduces time lost to searching and ensures that the equipment is always where it’s needed.

Ultra-Wideband improves emergency response times, optimizing workflows, and reinforcing safety protocols in high-risk areas. As a result, hospital environments become smarter, more responsive, and safer, where precision isn’t a luxury but a necessity.

👉Simplifying antenna integration in a healthcare device with Virtual Antenna® Technology

Logistics and Fast-Moving Supply Chains

Logistics environments demand visibility and speed, but traditional tracking systems often fall short to these specific requirements. UWB brings clarity and control to complex supply chains through real-time location systems across warehouses, distribution centers, and loading docks.

Goods, pallets and containers can also be tracked accurately as they move, and geofencing zones allow automated alerts for arrivals, departures, or misplaced assets.

With Ultra-Wideband technology, logistics teams gain a sharper edge. It reduces the chances for human error, boosting throughput and staying ahead of demand.

Retail and Access Control

Retailers are using Ultra-Wideband to elevate both customer experience and deployed efficiency. Real-time inventory monitoring allowed by UWB enabled devices improves stock management, while location-based insights allow for hyper-personalized customer engagement. UWB also enhances supply chain transparency by tracking products from warehouse to storefront with ease.

In building access control, UWB introduces secure, hands-free entry by detecting authorized users in proximity. Whether managing secure zones in offices, warehouses, or high-security environments, UWB enables smarter, more tailored access experiences. It also supports real-time tracking of individuals within buildings, adding another layer of intelligence to facility operations.

• True Real-Time Tracking: With refresh rates up to 1,000 times per second, UWB provides real-time updates. Even for fast-moving objects or people, it offers no lag, just continuous, accurate positioning.
• Centimeter-Level Accuracy: UWB measures distance using time-of-flight. Achieving location precision within 10 cm, without needing GPS or cellular signals. Becoming ideal for real-time spatial awareness in complex environments.
• Built-in Security by Design: Unlike signal strength-based systems, UWB cannot be tricked by relay attacks. It measures actual distance based on signal timing, offering a more secure layer for proximity-based access and communication.
• Interference Resilience: Thanks to its wide bandwidth and short pulses, UWB is naturally resistant to interference. It also handles multipath environments more effectively.
• Low Power Consumption: UWB uses tiny, efficient bursts of radio energy, consuming far less power than traditional radios. This makes it ideal for battery-powered or embedded devices that need to operate reliably over time.
• Reliable Through-Wall Performance: Its wide frequency range helps UWB signals travel through walls or around obstacles. This technology is more dependable in environments that typically disrupt other wireless technologies.
• Cost-Efficient: Efficient energy usage translates to reduced ongoing costs, especially in dense deployments or high-volume manufacturing where power budgets and Bill of Materials (BOMs) matter.

Our off-the-shelf Virtual Antenna® components, DUO mXTEND™ and NANO mXTEND™, are specifically engineered to meet the unique challenges of UWB integration. 

The DUO mXTEND™ is the go-to choice for high-performance UWB designs. With dual-port capability, it allows seamless integration of UWB alongside other wireless technologies like BLE, GNSS, and Wi-Fi, all in one compact component. Its ability to operate across both the lower (3.1–4.8 GHz) and upper (6.0–8.5 GHz) UWB bands ensures broad spectrum coverage for both short and long-range applications, from real-time location systems (RTLS) to advanced automotive sensing. 

For ultra-compact devices, NANO mXTEND™ offers big performance in a tiny footprint. Despite being just 3.0 x 2.0 x 0.8 mm, it efficiently covers the full UWB range and is ideal for space-constrained applications like smart locks, small asset trackers, or wearable healthcare devices.  

Both solutions feature: 

• Omnidirectional radiation patterns for robust coverage 

• High average efficiency (up to 77% for DUO and 70.4% for NANO) 

• Optimized matching network flexibility, making it easy to tune to different bands without redesign 

• Consistent group delay and high-fidelity factor ensure minimal signal distortion and accurate time-of-flight measurements.