Ultra-Wideband Technology

(UWB)
EE 206A
Spring, 2002
Robert Tseng
Jacob Kuo

Objectives
Introduction
What is UWB
Why it is attractive
Who

Basic Model
Transmitter Model
Receiver Model

Performance
BER

Pros and Cons

Industry Advocators
Industry Contesters
Conclusion

Introduction
What is UWB?
A series of very short baseband pulses with
time duration in nano-seconds that exist on
ALL frequencies simultaneously, like a blast of
electrical Noise.

Synonyms:
Nonsinusoidal Communication Technology
Impulse Radio
Baseband Pulse Technology

 Why is UWB attractive?

Capacity: a channel is linearly proportional to its
bandwidth. UWB can go up to 2 Giga-Hz in
bandwidth.
Spread spectrum: transmission in which the data sequence
occupies a bandwidth in excess of the minimum bandwidth
necessary to send it. It uses only several frequencies, one at
a time.
Successor to spread spectrum: UWB uses every frequency
there is, use them all at same time.

Simplicity: its essentially a base-band system (Carrier

free), for which the analog front-end complexity is far
less than that for a traditional sinusoidal radio. (See
Figures at next page.)

Traditional Sinusoidal Radio

UWB: Impulse Radio

When was UWB invented and by whom?

Tough question, but easy answer! There have been many claims to
the honor; however, Dr. Gerald F. Ross, currently President of
ANRO Engineering, Inc., first demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing
UWB waveforms for radar and communications applications back in
the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Gerrys pioneering insight into the value and applications of this

technology over 30 years ago has been instrumental in shaping
UWB technology to the point it has reached today with
applications ready to meet market demands for high-speed wireless
and precision radar/positioning applications.

Gerry was recognized by the National Academy of Engineering for

his efforts in ultra wideband technology, and elected a Member in
1995.

Basic Transmitter Model

Transmitter Model with typical time hopping
format with Pulse-Position Modulation (PPM):
Step 1: Define monocycle waveform

s ( k ) (t ) w(t )
j

S(k) is the kth transmitted signal

w(t) represents the transmitted monocycle waveform

Step 2: Shift to the beginning of Time frame

s (t ) w(t jT f )
(k )

Tf is the pulse repetition time or frame time

j is the j th monocycle that sits at the beginning of each
time frame.

 Step 3 Pseudorandom Time Hopping

s ( k ) (t ) w(t jT f c (jk )Tc )

j
To eliminate catastrophic collisions in multiple accessing
{Cj (k) } are time hopping code, periodic pseudorandom codes

Tc is the additional time delay that associate with the time

hopping code

Step 4 Data Modulation

s (t ) w(t jT f c T d
(k )

(k )
j
c

(k )
[ j / Ns ]

{dj (k) } is the primary data sequence of the transmitter

Data are transmitted every Ns monocycles per symbol
The symbol is the time shift that applies to the monocycle,
and we define such operation happens when 1 is transmitted.

Receiver Block Diagram for the reception of the

first users signal

Receiver Model
Signal at Receiver
Nu

r (t ) Ak s ( k ) (t k ) n(t )
k 1

Aks(k) models the attenuation of transmitter ks signal

N(t) is the white Gaussian noise
tauk is time asynchronisms between clocks of transmitter and the
receiver

Correlation template signal

v(t ) w(t ) w(t )

V(t) is the pulse shape defined as the difference between two

pulses shifted by the modulation parameter . It will then be
correlated with the received signal for a statistical test

 The optimal decision rule (one monocycle)

r (t )v

bit

(t jT f c T )dt 0
(k )
j
c

tTi

Pulse correlator output = j

0 j 0

Ns 1

1 ( j 1)T f

r (t )v

bit

(t jT f c T )dt 0
(k )
j
c

1 jT f

Test statistic = (one symbol)

if >0 , the symbol transmitted is 0, else it is 1

Performance
With simulation studies, to maintain BER of
10-3, 10-4, and 10-5 in a communication
system with no error control coding, SNR
spec must be 12.8 dB, 14.4 dB, and 15.6
dB.
We shall see the next figure, which the
number of users versus additional required
power ( P) for multiple access operation
with ideal power control is plotted.

Pros

High data capacity.

Multiple Access provided by time hopping scheme. Can support close to 30,000
users at 19.2kbps with BER of 10-3 or a 6 users system with a peak speed of
50mbps.

Low power.

Transmitting at microwatts (one tenth thousandth power of cell phone) results in very low
harmful interference to other radio systems. Usually below the noise floor and
undetectable.
Longer battery life for mobile devices.

Resilient to distortions and fading (Great for indoor usage).

Spread spectrum property overcomes frequency selective fading.

High information redundancy and frequency diversity provides protection against
multi-path distortion.

Simplicity translate to lower hardware cost.

No carrier frequency translate analog front-end has simpler implementation than

traditional sinusoidal radio.

Security

UWB is inherently secure: Only a receiver that knows the schedule of the
transmitter can assemble the apparently random pulses into a coherent message.

Cons
Interference with GPS.

Global positioning satellite currently have more than 10 million users and its primarily applications
are used for the safety of public. (I.e. aircraft flight and approach guidance.) UWB presents a
problem to GPS because their frequency overlaps, and GPS signal is particular sensitive to
interference (It as SNR level around 164 dBW.)

Limited on range

Output power is limited in order to keep down the noise floor due to its overlapping frequency
bandwidth with other radio systems.

One kilometer with high gain antenna.

Ten to twenty meter with regular antenna.

Affects on economy and current businesses.

Speculations on UWB making current billion dollar FCC licensed frequencies worthless.
Increased competition for local cable or phone company. Making their existent investments on
cable and equipments obsolete.

Side Note.

FCC adopted a First Report and Order that permits the marketing and operation of certain types of
new products incorporating UWB technology, Feb 14,2002.
Biggest loser: Increase the noise floor level for radio astronomer.

UWB Advocators
Intel
First - Intel is actively engaging the industry to help determine a reliable
model that systems engineers can use to help study the performance of UWB
systems.
Second Intel is investigating several receiver designs that will help to
improve the robustness and long-term viability of this technology.
Third - the feasibility for high-level silicon integration in order to yield a
very low-cost and low-power solution.

Intel itself has not yet decided to enter the market for UWB chips or
systems, according to Manny. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company is
still in the R&D phase with the technology.
Using discrete radio-frequency (RF) components, Intel demonstrated a
UWB-enabled system that supported data rates at speeds of 100
megabits per second, said Ben Manny, director of wireless technology
development at Intel Architecture Labs. The company aims to push this
wireless technology to 500 Mbits per second, Manny said in an interview
at IDF.

Time Domain Corp.,

based in Huntsville, Ala., has petitioned the FCC for a waiver so that by
the middle of next year, it can begin selling a system that will permit
police officers and special weapons and tactics teams to see
through walls and doors to detect the location of people. The
company is also planning a covert communications system that will both
carry voice communications and display locations of a counter-terrorism
or SWAT team's members.
Time Domain has harnessed UWB technology in silicon-based
solutions, which are embodied in a family of PulsON chipsets. The
PulsON chipset has been designed to enable hundreds of applications
in existing products as well as future products and industries. Time
Domain's chipsets are expected to be available in 2002. Time Domain
is now producing PulsON Application Demonstrators (PADs),
which integrate the first generation PulsON 100 Silicon Germanium
chips into a single PC board. Early adopters are joining our PulsON
Developer Program(SM) to incorporate PulsON silicon solutions into
their applications and products.

Siemens invested 5 million in Time Domain

Qwest bought 5% of time domain

Other supporters:
Motorola, Siemens, IBM, Sony

Start-Up Companies

Aether Wire & Location www.aetherwire.com

General Atomics www.ga.com
Multispectral Solutions www.multispectral.com
Pulse-Link www.pulse-link.net
Pulsicom Technologies (Israel)
www.pulsicom.com
Time Domain www.timedomain.com
XtremeSpectrum www.xtremespectrum.com
Zircon www.zircon.com

UWB Contesters
Sprint PCS (PCS ) and other wireless carriers,
which paid a king's ransom for their spectrum
rights, fear the interference caused by UWB.
Still others, including the US Department of
Defense and the airline industry, are heavily
involved in other wireless technologies (e.g.
GPS), felt that UWB should not be allowed at all
below 4.2 GHz, 6 GHz or even higher.

Conclusion
Impact on the market
Troubles in existing communication
businesses
UWB offers a better and cheaper service
Value of existing infrastructure drops
UWB will occupy certain part of radio spectrum
that are exclusively licensed to some companies

Boosting up the range of high-speed internet

services
Solves the last-mile problem

 Losers
Local phone companies, cable TV companies, mobile
phone companies and internet service providers, who
have old infrastructure
Regulated communication companies who has
exclusive license to some parts of the radio
spectrum
Radio Astronomers, the level of noise threshold is
raised.

Winners
Companies best adapted to UWB
PCS vendor: new UWB radio to its short range sites
Optical backbone provider: UWB increases its bandwidth
TV networks can extend their market range.

References

Impulse Radio
Robert.A. Scholtz and Moe Z Win
Invited Paper, IEEE PIMRC 97, Helsinki
Impulse Radio: How It Works
Moe Z Win and Robert.A. Scholtz
IEEE Communications Letters, Vol. 2, No. 1, January 1998
Multiple Access with Time-Hopping Impulse Modulation
R.A. Scholtz
Invited Paper, MILCOM 93 Conference
Assessing Interference of Ultra-Wideband Transmitters with the Global Positioning System - A
Cooperative Study
G. Roberto Aiello and Gerald D. Rogerson, Interval Research Corporation* Per Enge, Department of Aeronautics
and Astronautics, Stanford University
The 100 Mile-Per-Gallon Carburetor
How Ultra Wide Band May (or May Not) Change the World
By Robert X. Cringely
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20020124.html
Webb on Wireless
William Webb kicks off his column for Wireless Europe by arguing that ultra-wide band will not replace
WLAN or Bluetooth technologies.
By William Webb
http://wireless.iop.org/article/feature/3/1/8
NEW PUBLIC SAFETY APPLICATIONS AND BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS AMONG USES ENVISIONED
BY FCC AUTHORIZATION OF ULTRA-WIDEBAND TECHNOLOGY
by Federal Communications Commission
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/2002/nret0203.html