Why Ultra Wideband?

This webpage provides an introduction to Ultra-wideband (UWB) Communications, with special emphasis on the UWB-related work in MPRG.

Simply defined, UWB communications systems are wireless communications systems with very large bandwidth. UWB systems have produced significant excitement in both the academic and industrial communities in recent years.  While long known as a radar technique, there are several factors currently motivating the use of UWB signals for communications.  Potential benefits include better performance in severe multipath, low cost transceivers, large data rates (over short ranges) and mixed radar and communications functionality.  Most importantly however, UWB is getting attention because the FCC approved its unlicensed use in over 7 GHz of bandwidth.

Some of the potential advantages of UWB systems over narrowband and wideband systems are reduced system complexity (and thus cost), large information rates, support for a large number of users in a multiple access environment, low power spectral densities (resulting in low interference to narrowband systems operating in overlapping frequency bands and low probability of detection (LPD) by hostile systems), immunity to multipath fading, a large number of resolvable multipath components that can be exploited using a Rake receiver, and the potential for combined services such as communications, radar, and precision location. Another advantage is that the transmitter and receiver hardware can be produced less expensively than traditional communications equipment. The generated pulses can be transmitted directly (or filtered and then transmitted) eliminating the need for oscillators, mixers, and other costly RF hardware. 

• Wireless Communications Systems

• Local and Personal Area Networks (LAN/ PAN)

• Roadside Info- station, based on short bursts of very high data rate

• Short range radios

• Military Communications

• Radar and Sensing

• Vehicular Radar: collision avoidance/detection

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

• Through Wall Imaging (Police, Fire, Rescue)

• Medical Imaging

• Surveillance

• Location Finding

• Precision location (inventory, GPS aid)