5G • 5G-Advanced (Rel-18)
Ambient IoT Device Classes
3GPP Rel-18 Ambient IoT Classification (Device Device 1, 2, and 3)
Standardized taxonomy defining three classes of zero-power cellular IoT devices based on energy storage and signal generation capabilities.
Technical Explanation
3GPP Release 18 (TR 38.848) categorizes Ambient IoT devices into three distinct functional classes: Device 1 (completely passive backscatter tags with no battery or local oscillator), Device 2 (semi-passive devices with tiny energy storage but backscatter transmission), and Device 3 (active low-power transceivers capable of independent RF generation).
Key Functions
- Classifies zero-power cellular IoT tags based on power source and radio capabilities
- Device 1: Completely battery-less tags reflecting incident RF waves (costing pennies)
- Device 2: Energy-harvesting tags with capacitors supporting basic state logic
- Device 3: Ultra-low-power devices capable of independent RF signal generation
Specifications
3GPP TR 38.848 (Rel-18)
Interfaces
Uu (Ambient IoT)
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