STMicroelectronics propels new era of ultra-wideband technology for automotive and smart device applications
MWN-AI** Summary
STMicroelectronics has unveiled its ST64UWB family, a groundbreaking ultra-wideband (UWB) solution designed to revolutionize automotive and smart device applications. This innovative chip family supports the IEEE 802.15.4z and the forthcoming IEEE 802.15.4ab standards, offering multi-millisecond ranging (MMS) and narrow-band assistance radio (NBA) to enhance device localization and tracking capabilities.
The ST64UWB devices leverage ST’s advanced 18 nm FD-SOI technology to deliver superior RF performance, enabling a range of new use cases in automotive, smart homes, and industrial environments. The family includes three system-on-chip (SoC) variants, starting with the ST64UWB-A100, tailored for automotive applications and designed to provide functionalities like digital key access and precise vehicle localization.
Key features of the ST64UWB chips include significant enhancements in range and performance. With backward compatibility to the existing IEEE 802.15.4z standard, these chips facilitate a smooth transition for manufacturers looking to adopt new UWB applications. This transition is critical as it enhances user experiences such as improved digital key functionalities, presence detection in vehicles, and better interactions with consumer devices.
Experts predict that the adoption of IEEE 802.15.4ab will see widespread implementation in vehicles by 2030, thanks to its enhanced coverage, non-line-of-sight performance, and the robustness needed for modern key fob systems. Additionally, companies like Nuki and Forvia Hella underscore the transformative potential of UWB technology fostered by the ST64UWB solutions.
With comprehensive development resources provided alongside the new UWB family, STMicroelectronics is poised to drive the next wave of UWB technology innovations, steering toward more advanced, intuitive, and secure automotive and smart device solutions.
MWN-AI** Analysis
STMicroelectronics (STM) has recently unveiled its ST64UWB family of ultra-wideband (UWB) solutions, which stands out as the first fully integrated offering compliant with the new IEEE 802.15.4z and upcoming 802.15.4ab standards. This development places STM at the forefront of the rapidly evolving UWB landscape, essential for automotive and smart device applications.
The ST64UWB series enhances user experience through remarkable RF performance, empowering precise localization and tracking across multiple sectors. As features such as multi-millisecond ranging (MMS) and narrow-band assistance (NBA) broaden the range and robustness of connectivity, demand for such technology is anticipated to surge, particularly as vehicle manufacturers and smart device producers innovate within this arena.
With analysts projecting significant growth for UWB technology, particularly in automotive use cases such as digital keys and safety enhancements (like child presence detection), potential investors should focus on STM as a key player. The firm’s modernization of existing technologies through UWB can increase both performance and cost-efficiency for OEMs, offering winning solutions amid evolving market needs.
Moreover, the backward compatibility with IEEE 802.15.4z ensures that existing deployments can seamlessly transition to enhanced specifications without significant disruption, positioning STM competitively. As a semiconductor supplier, the company’s growth prospects are closely aligned with the expansion in UWB applications, especially as adoption rates in vehicles burgeon—projected to capture a majority by 2030.
From a financial standpoint, STM represents a compelling investment opportunity. The integration of advanced technologies with robust market trends bodes well for revenue growth. Furthermore, STMicroelectronics makes significant strides toward sustainability, targeting carbon neutrality, which can enhance its appeal to environmentally-conscious investors.
In summary, STMicroelectronics is poised for growth; its innovative approaches in UWB technology present a strategic opportunity for investors looking to engage with cutting-edge developments in the semiconductor landscape.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
STMicroelectronics propels new era of ultra-wideband technology for automotive and smart device applications
- Introducing the ST64UWB family: the first fully integrated ultra-wideband (UWB) solution supporting IEEE 802.15.4z and upcoming IEEE 802.15.4ab UWB standard with multi-millisecond ranging (MMS) including narrow-band assistance radio (NBA)
- ST64UWB family delivers industry-leading RF performance leveraging ST’s 18 nm FD-SOI technology
- Best-in-class performance enables new use cases and enhances user experience for automotive, smart home and smart building applications
Geneva, March 10, 2026 -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, introduces an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip family that comprehensively supports the next-generation wireless standard for localizing and tracking devices at distances up to several hundred meters. This UWB chip family combines extended range with greater processing power and robustness to enable new and improved automotive, consumer, and industrial use cases, including secure digital access control, presence and motion sensing, and precise approach detection.
“The ST64UWB family we announce today is an industry-first system-on-chip supporting the latest ultra-wideband specification, IEEE 802.15.4ab including narrow-band assistance radio, with ultra-precise ranging and sensing,” said Rias Al-Kadi, General Manager, Ranging and Connectivity Division, STMicroelectronics. “These chips are tailored for automotive, consumer, and industrial applications, providing innovators with a powerful platform for the next wave of ultra-wideband use cases.”
The emerging standard builds on the IEEE 802.15.4z UWB wireless technology in today’s hands-free digital car keys that unlock a vehicle on approach. New technical enhancements enabled by multi-millisecond ranging (MMS) and narrowband assistance (NBA) extend operating range, strengthen connections with devices carried in bags or rear pockets, and enable direction finding at close range to better interpret user intent. IEEE 802.15.4ab also enhances radar mode, improving use cases such as child presence detection (CPD) in vehicles, a potentially life-saving feature recommended by Euro-NCAP, the independent vehicle safety assessment organization.
The devices are now sampling to major Tier 1s and original equipment manufacturers.
Why IEEE 802.15.4ab and ST64UWB matter
“IEEE 802.15.4ab is set to become the backbone of next-generation ultra-wideband,” said Andrew Zignani, Senior Research Director at ABI Research. “By 2030, we expect the vast majority of ultra-wideband equipped vehicles to migrate to this new standard, leveraging a rapidly growing installed base of hundreds of millions of compatible smartphones. Meanwhile, backward compatibility with IEEE 802.15.4z allows the industry to adopt these enhancements quickly without disrupting existing deployments, while enabling valuable new user experiences and services across multiple end markets.”
“IEEE 802.15.4ab is the foundation for enabling a new generation of key fobs as part of a digital key system,” said Daniel Siekmann, Head of Car Access HW D&D Team, Forvia Hella. “It offers more than eight times the range of 802.15.4z and significantly better non-line-of-sight performance, which allows for key fob functionality to reliably perform from a back-pocket or inside a bag. With backward compatibility to 802.15.4z, it provides a practical path to replace legacy HF/LF key fobs with a modern ultra-wideband based architecture, a transition that is further enabled by STMicroelectronics’ new ST64UWB chips.”
“By adopting 802.15.4ab, car access systems can simultaneously improve performance, cost efficiency, and robustness. The more than eightfold increase in range effectively mitigates back-pocket and other obstructed-signal conditions. At the same time, backward compatibility with 802.15.4z gives OEMs like LGIT the flexibility to either enhance reliability using their existing fixed reference points or reduce the number of reference points to lower overall system cost,” said William Jung, Team Leader, LG Innotek.
“With IEEE 802.15.4ab, the ability to drastically increase UWB performance, especially when the smartphone is left in the rear pocket, is highly appreciated,” said Bernd Bär, Expert Product Line Technology, Marquardt. “At the same time, operating within tight global homologation limits while remaining backward compatible with existing IEEE 802.15.4z ecosystems tremendously extends the applicability of UWB systems.”
"Over the last decade, Nuki has helped establish and shape the smart lock category in Europe. We firmly believe Ultra-Wideband is a transformative technology for precise, hands-free unlocking,” said Jürgen Pansi, Chief Innovation Officer, Nuki Home Solutions. “Together with STMicroelectronics and their ST64UWB solution, we are showcasing how the IEEE 802.15.4ab standard can bring the power of Aliro and UWB to our region.”
Further information for editors
The three SoCs introduced today (ST64UWB-A100, ST64UWB-A500, and ST64UWB-C100) are built on 18 nm FD-SOI process that boosts link budget by nearly 3dB versus standard bulk technologies, extending range by roughly 50% beyond the gains already delivered by the IEEE 802.15.4ab standard.
The ST64UWB-A series, designed for automotive applications and starting with the ST64UWB-A100 for use cases such as digital key and precise vehicle localization, features an Arm® Cortex®-M85 core and supports ASIL A(B) automotive safety concept. The ST64UWB-A500 adds AI acceleration and digital signal processing to support edge AI-powered radar applications, including child presence detection (CPD), kick sensing, and outward-facing use cases, such as parking sensors and radar-based vehicle-sentinel mode. These radar capabilities benefit from the new 15.4ab Kaiser pulse shape and the upgraded 1.3 GHz bandwidth of UWB channel 11, resulting in twice the accuracy compared to 500 MHz channels.
The ST64UWB-C100, built on an Arm Cortex-M85 core, targets commercial and consumer applications, delivering best-in-class handsfree and tap free user experiences with full Aliro standard compatibility.
ST is accelerating next-generation UWB adoption with comprehensive development kit including UWB stack (PHY/MAC), radar toolbox, development boards, reference design for antennas, and application examples for both automotive and consumer markets.
Find out more on product specification and 802.15.4ab technology at www.st.com/uwb
About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are 48,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com
MEDIA RELATIONS
Alexis Breton
Corporate External Communications
Tel: + 33 6 59 16 79 08
alexis.breton@st.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jérôme Ramel
EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
Tel: +41 22 929 59 20
jerome.ramel@st.com
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FAQ**
How does the introduction of the STMicroelectronics STMEF UWB chip family enhance the user experience in automotive applications compared to existing technologies?
In what ways does the backward compatibility of STMicroelectronics STMEF with the IEEE 802.15.4z standard facilitate the transition for automotive manufacturers?
Can you elaborate on the specific use cases for the STMicroelectronics STMEF in smart devices and how these features differentiate it from competitors?
How does STMicroelectronics STMEF’s 18 nm FD-SOI technology contribute to the overall performance and energy efficiency of ultra-wideband applications?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE: STM).
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