Beacon Placement

This guide explains how to place Beacons to get the best possible results from the TEKTELIC LOCUS application. Whether you work in a large warehouse, a small lab, or somewhere in between, the right Beacon setup is essential for accurate asset tracking.

Here are a few terms and abbreviations you’ll see throughout the guide:

• Beacon – A small wireless device that helps track the position of an asset by sending location signals.
• Regular Beacon – A Beacon used in open areas with Regular Localization Mode to calculate precise asset positions.
• Nearest Beacon – A Beacon used in small rooms or narrow spaces to show the closest Beacon’s location instead of calculating the exact position.
• GW (Gateway) – Short for LoRaWAN Gateway. It collects data from nearby Beacons and sends it to the central tracking system.
• Multilateration – A location calculation method that estimates position based on signal strength from multiple Beacons.
• Signal Obstruction – Any material (like walls, concrete, or metal) that weakens or blocks wireless signals, affecting tracking accuracy.

The TEKTELIC LOCUS application offers two modes of location tracking. The ideal mode to use depends on your environment and the precision required for your tracking needs.

Use this mode in large, open areas such as warehouses, production floors, or open-plan offices. In these environments, Beacons can communicate easily and provide accurate location tracking.

This mode uses a multilateration algorithm to calculate the asset’s position based on signals received from at least three Beacons. It gives detailed information about the asset’s location within a space.

To get the most accurate results, ensure that the area where the Tracker will be localized is placed inside the convex hull formed by the surrounding Beacons. This means the Beacons should surround the tracking zone rather than line up on one side of it.

These are referred to as Regular Beacons.

This mode is ideal for smaller, enclosed spaces such as narrow hallways, private offices, or cleanrooms with many interior walls.

When walls or barriers interfere with signal strength, multilateration may not be accurate. Nearest Beacon Mode solves this by identifying the closest Beacon and using its location instead. This is helpful when you only need to know which room the asset is in.

To improve accuracy in this mode, place Beacons so that no other Beacons are too close by. This will help the system determine which Beacon has the strongest signal and avoid confusion in signal selection.

These are referred to as Nearest Beacons.

Yes. Many facilities have a mix of large open areas and smaller rooms. You can assign either mode per Beacon during setup in the LOCUS application, giving you the flexibility to match the environment.

The system estimates location by analyzing signals from nearby beacons. It prioritizes special Nearest beacons, checking if the strongest signal from a Nearest beacon is at least 3 dBm stronger than the strongest signal from a regular beacon. If so, your location is set to the position of that Nearest beacon. If no Nearest beacons are found, or their signal isn’t strong enough, the system falls back to using Regular beacons and determines location through multilateration.

Before placing Beacons, consider the physical layout and materials in the space. These directly affect signal strength and accuracy.

For example:

• Drywall and glass typically allow signals to pass through with little interference.
• Concrete, metal, or thick walls can significantly weaken or block signals.

The number of Beacons required depends on your tracking mode and the size/layout of your space.

• For Regular Mode, use a minimum density of 0.02 Beacons per square meter → Approximately one Beacon every 7 meters in open, unobstructed areas.
• For Nearest Mode, you’ll need 1.5 to 3 times more Beacons, depending on how many walls and rooms are involved. This ensures strong signal detection and room-level accuracy.

Use the table below to decide which mode best suits each part of your environment:

• Stay consistent with Beacon mode selection across similar rooms or zones.
• Test in the real environment before finalizing placement. Obstacles like furniture or machinery can affect signals.
• Avoid overcomplicating your setup. In many cases, Nearest Mode provides enough detail and reduces hardware needs.