Before you bet a programme on UWB, prove it works

Q: How long does a UWB proof of concept take?

A needCode UWB proof of concept runs on a fixed scope and a 4-8 week timeline, sized to give a clear answer before a programme commitment. The scope is agreed up front, so it is a de-risking step rather than open-ended research. It ends with a feasibility report and a go/no-go recommendation.

Q: What does a UWB PoC actually prove?

It proves whether UWB can meet your product's requirements in your conditions - the accuracy, range, and NLOS behaviour the use case needs. needCode validates this on a hardware-in-the-loop test stand representative of the deployment, not a clean bench. The result is documented evidence to support a programme decision.

Q: Which use cases can you validate?

needCode validates the main UWB use cases: secure digital keys, real-time positioning and RTLS, and radar sensing such as presence detection. Each is tested against the requirement that matters for that use case, and the PoC is scoped to the one you are evaluating. The findings then carry into the relevant build engagement.

Q: What accuracy can UWB achieve?

UWB reaches sub-20cm static accuracy, and real-world accuracy for a moving target depends on anchor density, environment, and update rate - which is exactly what the PoC measures for your case. needCode reports honest figures for your conditions rather than best-case lab numbers, and documents NLOS behaviour alongside. A tuned deployment can go finer, which is the RTLS design stage.

Q: What is a hardware-in-the-loop test stand, and why does it matter?

A hardware-in-the-loop test stand runs the real UWB silicon in a setup representative of the deployment - the geometry, materials, and interference - so the results reflect reality rather than an idealised bench. It matters because UWB's real-world performance is shaped by its environment, and a bench number can mislead. It is the difference between a measurement you can trust and a hopeful figure.

Q: What do we get at the end of the PoC?

You get a working proof on representative hardware, documented accuracy and NLOS results, the test stand and method, and a feasibility report with a go/no-go recommendation. If the answer is go, you also get a defined path into UWB SDK Development or RTLS Design. The output is built to support a confident decision either way.

Q: How is a UWB PoC scoped and priced?

A needCode UWB PoC is fixed-scope and fixed-timeline, scoped to the single use case and conditions you are validating, with the cost quoted after that scoping. Pinning the scope first is what keeps it a defined de-risking step rather than open-ended research. The scoping conversation is part of the initial discovery call.

Q: What happens after the PoC?

A successful PoC leads into UWB SDK Development or UWB RTLS Design & Deployment, with the proof, test stand, documented results, and a phased recommendation carried forward. The team that validated the concept is the team that builds it. The PoC is designed to flow directly into delivery.

Q: Why not just trust the chip vendor's datasheet numbers?

Datasheet figures describe ideal conditions, while a product lives in a specific cabin, warehouse, or motion profile where the real number can differ - sometimes materially. A PoC measures UWB in your conditions, so the programme commitment rests on your evidence rather than a best case. needCode reports where UWB struggles as well as where it delivers.

needCode runs fixed-scope UWB proofs of concept - digital keys, positioning, radar sensing - on hardware-in-the-loop test stands, with documented accuracy results for your conditions, in 4–8 weeks. A de-risking step before a full SDK or RTLS commitment: prove the case, get honest numbers, decide with evidence. From the largest dedicated UWB team in Central Europe.

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Explore UWB

We work with Industry Leaders

Most UWB programmes commit before they validate. The expensive surprises come later.

UWB looks decisive on a datasheet - centimetre-level accuracy, NLOS-resilient, GPS-denied. Then it meets the real product: a specific cabin, a specific warehouse, a specific motion profile and interference floor, and the number that looked settled becomes a question. Teams that discover this mid-programme pay for it in schedule and credibility. The cheapest place to learn whether UWB does what you need is before the programme, not inside it.

A needCode proof of concept answers that question on a fixed scope and timeline. We build a hardware-in-the-loop test stand representative of your conditions, run the use case, and hand back documented accuracy results and a go/no-go recommendation - so a programme commitment is made on evidence, not a vendor's best-case figure.

Fixed scope, 4–8 weeks

A defined de-risking step with a clear deliverable, not open-ended research.

Documented, honest numbers

Accuracy measured in your conditions, with NLOS behaviour stated - not a lab best case.

A path forward

The PoC flows directly into UWB SDK Development or RTLS Design, with findings carried over.

What a needCode UWB proof of concept delivers

A PoC is a small, defined engagement with a concrete output - four parts that turn a question into evidence.

Use-Case Scoping

We pin down exactly what must be proven - digital-key ranging, RTLS accuracy, or radar sensing - and the single requirement that decides the product. A PoC that proves the wrong thing is wasted, so scope comes first.

Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Stand

A test setup representative of your conditions - the silicon, the geometry, the interference - so results reflect the deployment rather than a clean bench. This is what makes the numbers meaningful.

Measurement & Documented Results

Accuracy, range, and NLOS behaviour measured and documented - the evidence a programme decision can stand on, including where UWB struggles, not only where it shines.

UWB Sniffer

Go / No-Go & Path Forward

A clear recommendation and, if it's go, a defined path into SDK Development or RTLS Design with the proof and findings carried over. The de-risking step that knows what comes next.

UWB SDK Development

UWB RTLS Design & Deployment

Evaluating UWB for a programme?

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What we validate

A PoC is scoped to the one use case you're evaluating. These are the questions needCode proves.

Digital Keys & Secure Ranging

CCC-style secure-ranging feasibility - does distance bounding hold for your access use case, in your form factor?

Digital Keys & Access

Automotive & SDV

Indoor Positioning (RTLS)

Achievable accuracy and an anchor plan for your actual space, before committing to a full RTLS deployment.

Indoor Positioning (RTLS)

Industrial IoT & RTLS

UWB RTLS Design & Deployment

Radar & Sensing

In-cabin presence and child-presence detection feasibility using UWB sensing mode - does the signal separate a child from a false alarm?

Child Presence Detection

Why teams run their UWB PoC with needCode

The largest dedicated UWB team in Central Europe

We know where UWB delivers and where it doesn't, so the PoC gives you a realistic answer for your conditions rather than an optimistic one. Depth is what makes a "no" as valuable as a "yes."

Honest, documented results

We report the numbers your conditions actually produce, with NLOS behaviour stated plainly. A PoC that flatters UWB only moves the surprise into the programme, where it costs far more.

Hardware-in-the-loop, not slideware

Real silicon on real test stands, with the UWB Protocol Sniffer for evidence - so "it works" is a measurement, not an assertion. The sniffer is a capability the silicon vendors themselves don't ship.

A PoC that goes somewhere

Findings flow straight into UWB SDK Development or RTLS Design, so the de-risking step isn't a dead end - the team that proved it can build it. Links: UWB SDK Development (service) · UWB RTLS Design & Deployment (service)

How a needCode UWB PoC runs

A fixed-scope engagement in four stages, typically 4–8 weeks end to end.

01 Scope & Success Criteria

When:
Week 1
Best for:
Agreeing exactly what "proven" means before any work starts
Output:
Agreed scope, conditions, and pass/fail criteria

02 Test Stand & Build

When:
Early
Best for:
Standing up a representative setup on target silicon
Output:
A working hardware-in-the-loop test stand implementing the use case

03 Measure & Document

When:
Mid
Best for:
Producing the evidence the decision rests on
Output:
Documented accuracy, range, and NLOS results across the relevant conditions

04 Readout & Recommendation

When:
Close
Best for:
Turning results into a decision
Output:
Feasibility report, go/no-go, and a defined path into SDK Development or RTLS Design

What we ship on

We build the PoC on the silicon and conditions that match the real product.

UWB silicon

Qorvo QM33 / QM35

ST64UWB

NXP Trimension

Infineon

legacy DW3000

Validation

Hardware-in-the-loop test stands

documented accuracy method

UWB Protocol Sniffer

Modes

Ranging (TDOA / AoA / TWR)

digital-key secure ranging

sensing / radar

Standards

FiRa

CCC

IEEE 802.15.4z / 4ab

Output

Feasibility report

test data

go/no-go recommendation

Case studies

A PoC is only worth the honesty of its results, and that rests on deep practice and real measurement.

Qorvo: RF Leadership

Context: Rapid scaling for new chipset bring-up.

Scale: Grew from <10 to 30 FTEs.
Output: Supported bring-up of 9 new hardware platforms (SDKs, Drivers, Stacks).
Retention: Zero-churn core team retained for 5+ years.

Dedicated Development Center for RF Solutions

Bluetooth Mesh Smart Lighting Control System

Smart Lighting: Core R&D Extension

Context: Client needed deep, specialized expertise to pivot from proprietary tech to a new global standard.

Service: Deployed a dedicated squad of embedded engineers to function as the client's core R&D team.
Output: Co-authored official Bluetooth SIG protocols and delivered the world’s first certified BLE Mesh stack.
Value: Enabled the client to secure Series A funding and defined the industry standard for smart buildings.

Creative Werks: Innovation rescue

Context: Hardware obsolescence threatened production shutdown.

Action: Full-stack takeover (PCB redesign + Firmware + Mobile App).
ROI: 1230% ($1.6M value generated).
Speed: Payback period of 2–3 months.

NeedCode-case study - IoT Solution for Boat Lift Modernization - cover2s

PowerPollen: AgTech automation

Context: Lack of internal expertise stalled a critical automation project.

Action: Re-architected system using unified MCU and ISOBUS standards.
ROI: 13.8x ($2.9M value generated).
Impact: Enabled $1.9M increase in harvester value.

Strategic Partnership

needCode is an official business partner of Qorvo, bringing over 8 years of proven expertise and trusted service to the technology sector.

Check our performance

Members of the UWB Alliance

In 2025 we became a member of the UWB Alliance. This strategic step reinforces our commitment to pioneering Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology.

Proudly Certified for Excellence and Security

needCode is officially certified for:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information Security

ISO certifications reflect our focus on delivering reliable IoT solutions, smart product development, and secure technology services.

Testimonials

“I think the key takeaway from needCode is their ability to adapt and understand the customer's requirements. That took away probably a large portion of what could have been a lot of development time and expense for both companies.”

Bob Folkestad

President at Creative Werks

“One aspect that truly sets needCode apart is its profound expertise in firmware development. Their proficiency in various programming languages, embedded systems and hardware architecture is truly impressive. When faced with difficult problems, their strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset shine through, allowing them to overcome obstacles with remarkable ease.”

Semeh Sarhan

CEO at Xtrava

“I worked with needCode while leading the NWTN-Berlin team in 2018. A big chunk for our FW development has been outsourced to them and they had proven to iterate very quickly, following specs and deliver on time. It was great working with them. I recommend working with needCode’s team on any Embedded SW development.”

Marco Salvioli Mariani

CTO at NWTN Berlin GmbH

“needCode Team proved to be one of the best engineers I have ever met. The part I like the most about the team is the more difficult an obstacle seems to be, the more motivated they were to find a solution and a way forward.”

Szymon Słupik

CTO at Silvair

“needCode is an outstanding partner. Their quick follow-up, scalability, and extensive professional network set them apart. Their expertise in wireless technologies has been valuable, supporting us from low-level drivers to architecture discussions.”

Tim Allemeersch

Director at Qorvo, Inc.

“needCode did a great job improving the firmware of the Vai Kai connected toys and developing new features, surpassing our expectations multiple times. I would definitely recommend hiring Bartek and needCode for the embedded software projects!”

Matas Petrikas

CEO & Co-founder at Vai Kai UG

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FAQ

A needCode UWB proof of concept runs on a fixed scope and a 4–8 week timeline, sized to give a clear answer before a programme commitment. The scope is agreed up front, so it is a de-risking step rather than open-ended research. It ends with a feasibility report and a go/no-go recommendation.