IrDA vs. Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
IrDA is a point-to-point, line-of-sight optical data transmission standard developed by the Infrared Data Association. Operating at 850–900 nm over distances up to 1 meter, it evolved from 115.2 kbps Serial Infrared (SIR) to 4 Mbps Fast Infrared (FIR) and 16 Mbps Very Fast Infrared (VFIR) for wireless printing, laptop file exchange, and mobile synchronization.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a short-range radio communication technology standardized under IEEE 802.15.4z and governed by the FiRa Consortium and Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). Operating across 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz with channel bandwidths of ≥ 500 MHz, it utilizes picosecond-duration pulses to measure Time-of-Flight (ToF) and Angle-of-Arrival (AoA), delivering centimeter-level spatial tracking and relay-attack immune digital car keys.
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Optical Wavelength
|
850 to 900 nm | — |
|
Nominal Range
|
0 to 1.0 m (at ±15° cone angle) | — |
|
Standard Speed Tiers
|
SIR (up to 115.2 kbps), MIR (1.152 Mbps), FIR (4.0 Mbps), VFIR (16.0 Mbps), UFIR (96.0 Mbps) | — |
|
Pulse Encoding (SIR)
|
Return-to-Zero (RZ) with 3/16th bit duration pulse | — |
|
Pulse Encoding (FIR)
|
4PPM (4-Pulse Position Modulation) | — |
|
Software Protocol Stack
|
IrLAP (Link Access), IrLMP (Link Management), Tiny TP, IrOBEX (Object Exchange) | — |
|
Standardization Bodies
|
— | IEEE 802.15.4z / FiRa Consortium / Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) |
|
Operating Frequency Band
|
— | 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz (Channel 5 @ 6.489 GHz and Channel 9 @ 7.987 GHz global) |
|
Minimum Channel Bandwidth
|
— | 499.2 MHz (500 MHz nominal) |
|
Pulse Duration
|
— | ~2 ns (nanosecond RF impulse pulses) |
|
Spatial Positioning Accuracy
|
— | 1 to 5 cm (centimeter accuracy) |
|
Distance Calculation Method
|
— | Two-Way Ranging (TWR) / Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) |
|
Directional Angle Measurement
|
— | Angle of Arrival (AoA) via dual-antenna phase interferometry |
|
Security Physical Layer
|
— | Scrambled Timestamp Sequence (STS) to defeat relay attacks |