The recent FCC frequency allocation for UWB has generated a lot of interest in UWB technologies. There is 7,500 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed use. The main limitations are provided by the low-power spectral density and by the fact that the transmit signal must occupy at least 500 MHz at whole times. IEEE 802.15.3a is being developed for high-bit-rate PAN applications, and UWB is the most promising technology to support the stringent requirements: 110, 200, and 480 Mb/s. Two UWB multiband systems, frequency hopping and Spectral Keying, have been described in this article. Both systems meet the stringent requirements provided by IEEE 802.15.

Ultra-wideband wireless systems

Developed in the early 1960s, time-domain electromagnetics, the study of electromagnetic-wave propagation from a time-domain perspective, has given birth to a fascinating new technology, which today is commonly referred to as ultra-wideband (UWB). It has now been slightly more than 25 years since the 1978 seminal paper of Bennett and Ross, which summarized UWB's early applications. It thus seems appropriate, given the tremendous increase in interest in the technology since the Federal Communications Commission modified its Part 15 rules to accommodate UWB transmissions, to take a look at more recent system applications of this unique technology. This paper provides a brief historical perspective of UWB, discusses recent techniques for the generation and reception of short-pulse electromagnetic waveforms, and examines a number of recently developed UWB systems in the communications, radar, and precision-positioning fields. Finally, a brief assessment of future trends for the technology is provided.

Recent system applications of short-pulse ultra-wideband (UWB) technology

This invention generally relates to networks of communications devices, in particular ultra wideband (UWB) communications devices. An ultra-wideband (UWB) network comprising a plurality of UWB devices each forming a node of said network, pairs of said UWB devices being configured for communication with one another using one of a plurality of UWB channels, each said UWB device comprising a UWB transceiver for bidirectional communication over one or more of said UWB channels with at least one other of said UWB devices; and a device controller coupled to said UWB transceiver, said controller being configured to determine a said UWB channel for use in establishing a communication link with each other UWB device; whereby said network is configured for automatic construction of a set of communications links between said nodes of said network.

Communications systems and methods

Radar waveform diversity has received considerable attention in recent years due to increasing spectral congestion and the burgeoning capabilities of digital waveform generation. The promise of waveform diversity is far greater utilization of available degrees of freedom to enhance sensing performance and to even facilitate new operating modes. This tutorial provides an overview of this very broad topic, from the basic principles upon which it is founded to the myriad different areas being explored in research for practical sensing applications.

Overview of radar waveform diversity

Performance evaluation of ultra wideband technology for construction resource location tracking in harsh environments

The last compilation of ultra wideband (UWB) communications systems is nearly two years old (see Fontana, R.J., Ultra-Wideband, Short-Pulse Electromagnetics, EuroEM 2000). This paper is intended as an update and illustrates recent trends in UWB communications for multi-user networking applications. More specifically, the paper describes three recent system developments: an ad hoc wireless UWB communications network for tactical voice and high-speed data communications; a long range UWB system for over-the-water and non line-of-sight voice, data and video communications; a wireless UWB communications network for support of both tactical and strategic (long haul) communications.

Recent advances in ultra wideband communications systems

The development and widespread use of micro air vehicles (MAVs) in the battlefield environment has been effectively constrained by the limitations in the MAV sensor suite. Furthermore, the extreme size, weight and power constraints imposed on the on-board electronics for such platforms have made it very difficult to utilize more conventional and commercially available technologies for this application. This paper discusses the development of an extremely small, micro-power, radar system utilizing ultra wideband (UWB) technology which addresses MAV mission requirements for collision avoidance and precision altimetry in support of autonomous vehicle operation.

An ultra wideband radar for micro air vehicle applications

Current intercommunications system (ICS) designs for military, multicrew aircraft utilize lengthy, encumbering cords to physically attach the crewmember's helmet or headset to a distributed audio intercom system. Typical ICS long-cords are approximately 100 feet in length and allow crewmembers to maintain communications as they move about the aircraft while performing their mission duties. These cords also allow crewmembers to maintain communications with the aircraft when disembarked, as when they are controlling aircraft during engine start-up. Unfortunately, the current wired topology significantly reduces mission effectiveness, impedes crewmember movement, and greatly increases the crewmember's risk of injury. These drawbacks are more pronounced onboard military rotary winged aircraft (helicopters) where several crewmembers have been injured or killed during emergencies requiring the aircraft to ditch at sea. During ditching, crewmembers often became entangled in their lengthy ICS cord, preventing or delaying aircraft egress. This paper discusses the development of an aircraft wireless intercommunications system (AWICS) which utilizes ultra wideband (UWB) technology to address mission requirements for these multicrew, military aircraft. UWB offers unique advantages in this application - multipath mitigation, low probability of detection, low probability of interference to onboard legacy systems, and high throughput in a multiuser environment.

Ultra wideband technology for aircraft wireless intercommunications systems (AWICS) design

Current intercommunications system (ICS) designs for military, multi-crew aircraft utilize lengthy, encumbering cords to physically attach the crewmember's helmet or headset to a distributed audio intercom system. Typical ICS long-cords are approximately 100 feet in length and allow crewmembers to maintain communications as they move about the aircraft while performing their mission duties. These cords also allow the crewmembers to maintain communications with the aircraft when disembarked, as when they are controlling aircraft during engine startup. Unfortunately, the current wired topology significantly reduces mission effectiveness, impedes crewmember movement and greatly increases the crewmember's risk of injury. These drawbacks are more pronounced onboard military rotary winged aircraft (helicopters) where several crewmembers have been injured or killed during emergencies requiring the aircraft to ditch at sea. During ditching, crewmembers often became entangled in their lengthy ICS cord, preventing or delaying aircraft egress. The present paper discusses the development of an aircraft wireless intercommunications system (AWICS), which utilizes ultra wideband (UWB) technology to address mission requirements for these multi-crew, military aircraft. UWB offers unique advantages in this application - multipath mitigation, low probability of detection, low probability of interference to onboard legacy systems, and high throughput in a multiuser environment.

Under Phase I of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Networking in Extreme Environments (NETEX) initiative, Multispectral Solutions, Inc. (MSSI) was tasked with the development of a general purpose, ultra wideband hardware simulator capable of reproducing a wide variety of ultra wideband (UWB) waveforms. The simulator, with UWB outputs from baseband through millimeter wave, was to be used for the purpose of electromagnetic susceptibility testing of legacy military radio, radar and positioning systems. The ultimate goal of this portion of the Phase I program was the quantitative determination of those UWB parameters (e.g., frequency, power, pulse rate, pulse shape, dithering, etc.), which had the least impact on the operational performance of legacy designs. This paper describes the development of the MSSI NETEX UWB simulator (BFPl000).

https://www.uta.edu/rfmems/Telemetry/UWB/UWB_propagation/TFP1001.pdf

E.A. Richley

Papers

Recent advances in ultra wideband communications systems

An ultra wideband radar for micro air vehicle applications

Ultra wideband technology for aircraft wireless intercommunications systems (AWICS) design

Ultra wideband technology for aircraft wireless intercommunications systems (AWICS) design

A programmable ultra wideband signal generator for electromagnetic susceptibility testing