The Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon
Digital Matter Wifi Beacon Overview
Written by Daan de Waard
Updated at July 1st, 2025
Table of Contents
BETA TESTING
This feature is currently in public beta testing.
If you are interested in trialling it and providing feedback, please contact your Digital Matter representative.
Applies to:
| Device | Firmware Version |
| Oyster Edge | 1.23+ |
| Yabby Edge Cellular | 1.32+ |
Introduction
Location Engine connected devices that use Wi-Fi MAC address scanning (e.g. Edge, Fusion) rely on public Access Point (AP) datasets by default. These are excellent for tracking in public areas, but often lack accuracy on private property and provide no floor-level context. Private Wi-Fi Lookups overcome this shortfall by letting you create your own private database of APs unique to your deployment. Because a lack of Wi-Fi lookup fidelity is often caused by insufficient density of APs in a given area, we have developed an easy-to-deploy Wi-Fi Beacon solution, that you can populate with known locations and metadata. By detecting these beacons on-site, compatible devices can deliver more accurate, context-rich indoor location tracking, even in areas without publicly mapped APs or which cannot support powered Wi-Fi routers. The Wi-Fi Beacon Solution from Digital Matter is designed to help people locate and manage important equipment across large, complex spaces such as airports, hospitals, large yards or warehouses. It’s especially useful when you need to know where critical assets are in real time, across rooms, zones, and in the near future, multiple floors.
What problems does the Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon solve?
- Wi-Fi lookup blackspots identified at key facilities for a Wi-Fi lookup dependent deployment.
- Insufficient location resolution with existing Wi-Fi lookup datasets.
- Ownership/administrative challenges in undertaking modifications to fixtures within a facility when adding private Wi-Fi APs.
- Infrastructure costs for installing additional private APs via existing IT suppliers.
- Cybersecurity concerns relating to adding fully featured Wi-Fi hardware to a network.
What features does the Digital Matter Wi-Fi Beacon possess to solve these problems?
- Quick and simple installation via magnets, temporary adhesives, or insertion into ceiling cavities/on top of shelving.
- Removal of rear activation-magnet results in instant deployment.
- Zero cybersecurity threat vectors (no access to the internet or local networks whatsoever).
- Consumer grade, replaceable batteries supply power for more than a year.
- Weatherproof (IP67) and rugged housing allows for deployment in harsh industrial environments both indoors and outdoors.
Battery-powered beacon access points are installed on walls, ceilings, or other known points throughout a building or yard. They operate parallel to existing 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks to improve AP detection coverage in areas with limited signal or to function as a standalone beacon-based network. The beacons transmit 2.4 GHz signals containing nothing other than their own MAC addresses, which are detected by Digital Matter tracking devices (such as the Oyster Edge or Yabby Edge). Affixing these devices to assets like high value medical equipment, supply carts, wheelchairs, or pallets allows the Digital Matter Location Engine to determine the asset’s location and report it to your end platform.
What do I need to set up a Private Lookup solution using Wi-Fi Beacons?
You will need:
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Wi-Fi Beacons (the quantity of beacons required is determined by the use case)
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Digital Matter devices with Location Engine Wi-Fi Lookup capability*.
*Optimised private Wi-Fi scan functionality is available for the Yabby-Edge and Oyster-Edge via beta firmware as outlined further below.
Beacon Density Guide | |
|---|---|
| Basic asset presence monitoring - i.e. is the device detected or not? | 1 per 100m^2 of open space |
| Room level - using the access point meta data, the asset will report the strongest beacon detected in the scan. | 1 per room |
| Location Triangulation - is based on numerous environmental factors. To maintain a level of accuracy, the beacon radius of influence should be no greater than 10-15 metres from the device. | Triangulation requires a minimum of three beacons. In optimal conditions, a 10 metre equilateral beacon triangle will result in a CEP of ~5 metres. |
Radio Frequency Limitations
Indoor RF-based position estimates are inherently approximate. RF propagation in real buildings is affected by multi-path absorption, diffraction, interference, and dynamic environmental changes. As a result, plotted positions, especially room-level assignments should be treated as probabilistic estimates, not exact measurements. In certain scenarios such as spaces with particularly dense walls, people, yards with heavy machinery, co-channel interference (lots of signals), device orientation and device location, you may see location errors of several meters.
What does set up involve?
Deployment Checklist for Private Wi-Fi Lookup Integration
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Create a Private Wi-Fi Lookup Dataset in Device Manager
Add entries manually or use the bulk import CSV for larger datasets. Include as much metadata (floor level, room number) as possible to enhance asset visibility in Live View. See the Bulk Importing Private Access Points article for detailed guidance.
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Configure your Location Engine Lookup Settings
Create or update the Lookup Engine Lookup settings for your forwarder and enable Private Wi-Fi Lookups. Select the relevant dataset and consider enabling GNSS, Public Wi-Fi, or Cell ID lookups as needed. Refer to the Location Engine Lookup Settings article for details.
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Assign your Private Wi-Fi Lookups enabled Location Engine Lookup Settings to a Connector
Include any new Location Engine Lookup Settings in your Connector configuration, edits or updates to an existing Connector setup will automatically apply new Lookup Settings. See Creating Connectors for detailed instructions.
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Deploy and Update Devices
Ensure Yabby-Edge devices run [beta] v1.32+ and Oyster-Edge devices run [beta] v1.23+.
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Test in Your End Platform
Devices that have derived a location from a Private Lookup Dataset will carry metadata in their analogs (Floor is analog 6, and Room is analog 7). Ensure that you can properly map these values to a place where your customers can derive value in your platform.
Device Firmware
Yabby-Edge (1.32+) and Oyster-Edge (1.23+) now have a specialised firmware created to facilitate an additional level of control over the Wi-Fi scanning parameters.
Next Steps
To learn more about devices capable of resolving Private Lookups, consider reviewing:
