Ultra-wideband RF systems for harsh propagation environments

Abstract

The nature of pulse based transmission in ultrawideband systems offer special characteristics that make them advantageous to conventional RF communications, radar, and tagging/tracking systems. Due to the large bandwidth of such narrow pulses, most industry efforts on UWB has been focused on short ranges (<;10 m) high-bandwidth data transmission. However, the large bandwidth can open the opportunity for other applications with special propagation needs, such as harsh propagation environments, where the conventional narrowband technology faces significant challenges. In this paper we discuss successful developments of UWB technology for special applications in the areas of wireless communications, tomographic radar imaging, and radio frequency identifications (RFID).