omlox

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Logo of the omlox technology

omlox is a technology standard that enables the provision of location data independent of technology and manufacturer. The term omlox is derived from the Latin words "omni" = omnipresent and "locus" = location.

The omlox standard basically describes two core components:

• A location middleware ("omlox hub") that aggregates location data from different technologies and makes it available to other applications via standardized APIs.
• An open location infrastructure ("core zone") based on ultra-wideband radio technology, in which devices can be located or self-localize independently of the manufacturer.

All other location technologies (such as RFID, BLE, WLAN, etc.) are not standardized by omlox itself, but can be connected to an omlox hub as so-called "complementary zones". The technology standard was defined in close cooperation with ETSI, the OPC Foundation and the UWB Alliance and is now managed by the non-profit industry association Profibus and Profinet International.

Architecture

The omlox standard refers to location technologies that cover different spatial areas in a factory as zones. Two different types of zones are defined:

• Core zone - is an area where an interoperable ultra-wideband system is installed, enabling vendor-independent location. The omlox standard defines how assets in industrial environments can be located with the nequired accuracy using ultra-wideband technology.
• Complementary zone: In addition to ultra-wideband technology, there are a variety of other technologies that enable location inside or outside of buildings, including Wi-Fi, BLE, RFID and, in the future, 5G. The omlox standard does not define such technologies, but makes them accessible as complementary zones.

Above the zones the location data is aggregated by a location middleware, the omlox hub, which makes the data available to various applications such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Warehouse Management System (WMS), Production Planning or Transportation Management System (TMS) in a standardized format via uniform interfaces.

omlox architecture at a glance

Industrial applications	Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)	Warehouse Management System (WM)	Production Planning	Transport Management System (TMS)	etc
Location middleware	omlox hub omlox hub API
Location technologies	omlox core zone UWB	Complementary zone RFID	Complementary zone BLE	Complementary zone SLAM	Complementary zone 5G/GPS

omlox hub

The omlox hub decouples industrial applications that process positioning data from the actual positioning technologies and their manufacturers. This middleware architectural principle simplifies the integration of positioning technologies into applications and claims to enable any combination of technologies and manufacturers.

The omlox hub aggregates the positioning data, puts it into a unified data format and provides some core spatial functions that are needed over and over again. Positioning data is provided in 3D with x, y and z coordinates. The APIs allow the integration of the omlox hub. An omlox hub is designed as a lightweight software that can also meet the requirements of real-time data processing in automation applications.

This section summarizes the basic features of the omlox hub specification.

Trackable as a moving object

In an omlox hub, moving things (assets, tools, vehicles, people) can be described as trackables. A trackable is characterized by a unique identifier, a spatial extent, additional attribute data and the dynamic combination of different positioning technologies. Depending on the application, the spatial constellation or the available positioning technology, positioning data can be dynamically assigned to a trackable via APIs. This allows software applications to query the last known location of a trackable via an API. The actual tracking technology becomes secondary and interchangeable.

Georeferencing

An omlox hub translates the location data from the various, typically locally installed zones into a global coordinate reference system. This means that industrial applications always receive consistent data and seamless indoor/outdoor tracking is made possible. Depending on the application, different levels of positioning accuracy are required. The omlox hub uses the EPSG nomenclature to describe different coordinate reference systems. This allows the omlox hub application to be used in different locations around the world.

An omlox hub also supports the reverse, translating position data from a global coordinate back to a locally installed positioning system with its local coordinate system.

Functional areas

The omlox hub supports two core spatial functions in addition to the concept of trackables and georeferencing.

Fencing

It is often of interest to know if an object is inside or outside a fence. Fences can be defined using the omlox hub fence API and an omlox hub calculates whether a trackable enters or leaves a fence. An important difference to traditional tracking systems is that fencing works independent of the tracking technology and that cross-technology fences can be defined. To ensure maximum interoperability between different omlox-hub implementations, the framework parameters for calculating a fence entry or exit are also defined within omlox, e.g. time intervals to compensate for fluctuations in the tracking data.

Collisions

For many use cases it is also interesting to be able to calculate the distance between moving objects and to receive a notification when the distance falls below a defined minimum distance. This behavior is defined within omlox as a collision API. The frame parameters that define a collision are mapped within the specification.

Interfaces

The omlox standard currently supports the following access methods:

• Representational state transfer REST API
• WebSocket API

The data within the omlox-hub API is described in a JSON notation.

The omlox hub API in the standard defines the following services:

• The zone API describes the setup of a zone, including associated spatial operations like geo-coordinate transformation.
• The trackable API deals with handling of trackable things within the omlox ecosystem.
• The provider API describes the setup of a location provider and the advertisements of location updates to an omlox hub.
• The fence API handles the creation, update and deletion of fences.

omlox core zone

The omlox core zone is an open real-time locating system (RTLS) whose specification is jointly developed and refined by all omlox partners. It basically uses a time of flight (ToF) measurement of pulse-shaped signals transmitted wirelessly over high-bandwidth, low-power radio channels. This is often referred to as IR-UWB (impulse-radio ultra-wideband). The main functionalities of the omlox core zone specification are summarized in this section.

Ultra-wideband (also: UWB) is a short-range radio technology that uses extremely large frequency ranges with a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz. UWB works with a low transmit power (0.5 mW / -41.3 dBm/MHz) to avoid interfering with already occupied frequency ranges. Only special UWB receivers can detect the signal. The frequency range of UWB is between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz. It is based on the IEEE 802.15.4.z standard, which deals with the communication of sensors and actuators in wireless networks.

Satellites as building infrastructure

The realisation of the omlox core-zone requires a building infrastructure. In particular, permanently installed transmitters are required, which are called satellites in reference to GPS. Three different types of satellites are defined:

• Full Blown Satellite (FBS) is equipped with a fixed power supply and can exchange information with local servers via an additional data network.
• Mains Powered Satellite (MPS) is equipped with a fixed power supply and does not have access to an additional data network.
• Battery Powered Satellite (BPS) is powered by a local battery and does not have access to an additional data network.

A minimum of three satellites are required for positioning. Additional satellites may be required depending on the area and accuracy required. Only an FBS can collect the information and forward it to a local server. Different satellites may be required depending on the measurement method used.

Measurement methods for location determination

With the different satellites and tags, different measurement methods for positioning can be realized:

• Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL TDOA): A tag can measure the signals of the surrounding synchronized satellites and thus determine its own position via TDOA and the known positions of the satellites. This method is similar to GPS technology.
• Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UL TDOA): A tag periodically transmits signals allowing the synchronized satellites to determine the ToA (Time of Arrival). With these collected arrival times, a location server can estimate the position of the tag from the differences between the ToA and the known positions of the satellites.
• Reconstructed Time of Flight (RToF): Not only the satellites, but also the tag is precisely synchronized through two-way communication. Thus, in addition to the arrival time, the transmission time can also be measured and thus the transmission time (ToF = Time of Flight) can be calculated. With this calculated ToF, a location server can now determine the position of the tag.
• Timestamped Time of Flight (TsToF): Again, all satellites and tags are synchronized. The tag exchanges signals with all satellites, including the time of transmission of the signals. This provides the most accurate positioning to within 10 to 30 cm.

Summary of the measurement methods for determining the location

Methods	Objective	Satellites	Tags
DL TDOA (similar to GPS)	Locate themselve	FBS, MPS, BPS	RxT, TRxT
UL TDOA	Tracking	FBS	TxT, TRxT
RToF	Tracking	FBS, MPS	TRxT
TsToF	Tracking	FBS, MPS	TRxT

Complementary Zones

Further information: Indoor positioning system § Wireless technologies

Within an omlox architecture, all other locating technologies can be connected to an omlox hub as complementary locating zones.

Further positioning technologies can be e.g.

• Satellite-based positioning technologies like GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, etc.
• Bluetooth-based positioning technologies
• RFID-based identification and tracking
• Optical positioning using camera-based systems
• Ultrasound-based positioning
• Magnetic field-based positioning

The open architecture concept of omlox - based on the different zones (core zone and complementary zones) and their integration into an omlox hub - allows for a holistic, transparent positioning across technology boundaries. omlox therefore claims to be retrofitable and future-proof.

Use cases

Further information: Indoor positioning system § Types of usage

The omlox positioning standard is claiming to address a broad spectrum of use cases, which are particularly relevant in industry and logistics. In summary, the following categories of use cases can be distinguished:

• Tracking of things, e.g. means of production, goods, tools, orders, vehicles or persons.
• Automatic logging and documentation of process progress in IT systems, e.g. for paperless production.
• Location-based information and control, e.g. for machine control or machine maintenance.
• Autonomous transport, e.g. in the orchestration of internal factory traffic by autonomous transport robots.
• Safety-related applications, e.g. for lone worker monitoring in the process industry.
• Localization for Augmented Reality in industrial applications

History

The start of open tracking was initiated by TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co KG at the beginning of 2018. The background to this was that all the tracking systems available at that time were proprietary and could not be used on a large scale due to lock-in. The TRUMPF company looked for other supporters of open tracking and was able to win over more than 20 companies in the German-French region. Under the working title "initiative LoTUS", this loose association then worked out the loads and performance data of such an open system and then realized it in an agile development process. After successful testing, the first standard was then derived and the result transferred to PI in June 2020.

External links

• "The home of the open location community". omlox.org. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
• "Short description of the omlox technology". profibus.com. PROFIBUS & PROFINET International. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
• "omlox Technology page". us.profinet.com. PI North America. Retrieved 2023-02-08.

References

Bibliography

Standards

• IEEE 802.15.4z (2020), "IEEE 802.15.4z-2020 - IEEE Standard for Low-Rate Wireless Networks--Amendment 1: Enhanced Ultra Wideband (UWB) Physical Layers (PHYs) and Associated Ranging Techniques.", ieee.org, IEEE Standard, retrieved 2023-02-14
• PI 20.112 (2023), "omlox HUB Specification API and Behavior.", profibus.com, Profibus and Profinet International, retrieved 2023-02-14
• PI 20.122 (2022), "omlox Core Zone Specification.", profibus.com, Profibus and Profinet International, retrieved 2023-02-14
• PI 20.142 (2023), "Test Specification for omlox Hub.", profibus.com, Profibus and Profinet International, retrieved 2023-02-14

Papers

• Lehmann, Franz; Mademann, Erik (2022), Device-level Interoperability in UWB-based Real-Time-Locating-Systems enabled by the omlox Core Zone v2 SpecificationDevice-level Interoperability in UWB-based Real-Time-Locating-Systems enabled by the omlox Core Zone v2 Specification (PDF), Trumpf Tracking Technologies GmbH & ZIGPOS GmbH
• Coppens, Dieter; Shahid, Adnan; Lemey, Sam; Van Herbruggen, Ben; Marshall, Chris; De Poorter, Eli (2022), "An Overview of UWB Standards and Organizations (IEEE 802.15.4, Fi Ra, Apple): Interoperability Aspects and Future Research Directions", IEEE Access, 10: 70219–70241, arXiv:2202.02190, doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3187410
• Coors, Volker; Gröpl, Jonas; Haspinger, Florian; Knauth, Stefan; Runde, Christoph; Uckelmann, Dieter; Wahl, Eberhard (2022), Standardisierte Indoor-Ortung mit omlox (PDF), VDC
• Zuin, Silvia; Calzavara, Martina; Sgarbossa, Fabio; Persona, Alessandro (2018), "Ultra Wide Band Indoor Positioning System: analysis and testing of an IPS technology", IFAC-PapersOnLine, IFAC-PapersOnLine, Volume 51, Issue 11, 51 (11): 1488–1492, doi:10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.08.292, ISSN 2405-8963

Reports

• Struck, Angela (2020-02-14), "Omlox: Everything you need to know about the new location technology", development scout: Online magazine for industrial construction and development, retrieved 2022-02-15
• Wahl, Eberhard (2021-03-10), "Healthcare Digitalization Needs Standards to Get Low Total Cost of Ownership", mddionline.com, Medical Devices and Diagnostics Industry, retrieved 2021-12-06
• Montague, Jim (2022-01-17), "Omlox standard unifies positioning, coordinates real-time location services", controlglobal.com, Control, retrieved 2022-02-11
• Cruz, Morgan (2022-08-02), "How Standardized Location-data is Revolutionizing Global Production", MHI Blog, retrieved 2022-08-24

This article "Omlox" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Omlox. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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