Ultra Wideband (UWB) antenna design for cognitive radios in the UHF TV band

Abstract

Presently, Ultra Wide Band (UWB) radio technology has attracted much interest in academics, industrial and standardization (IEEE) activities. UWB characterizes transmission systems with instantaneous spectral occupancy of higher bandwidth or higher fractional bandwidth. The antenna is probably the most overlooked part of a RF (Radio Frequency) design. The range, performance, and legality of a RF link are critically dependent upon the antenna. During this work, the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) TV Band is specifically addressed which is a target band of IEEE802.22 standardization. The UHF TV band is 336MHz wider according to CCIR (Consultative Committee on International Radio) standards. One major challenge in designing a UWB antenna for UHF band is limiting the physical size of the antenna. The paper illustrates the successful design, implementation and testing of a UWB antenna for cognitive radios in the UHF TV Band. The antenna is simple, low cost and compact enough to be used in fixed transceivers.