UWB communications: present and future

Abstract

Ultrawideband (UWB) is a promising technology for getting high data rate communications. UWB communications refer to the utilization of signals with a frequency range (3.1 to 10.6 GHz) on the condition of having a fractional bandwidth of 20% or absolute bandwidth of 500 MHz or higher. The limited power spectral density of-41.3 dBm/MHz allows UWB communications to be safely deployed with existing wireless communication systems without causing any interference. Consequently, UWB communication systems have been proposed for different outdoor and indoor scenarios. A variety of applications are suitable for UWB communications ranging from infostations, wireless sensor networks (WSNs), on-body communications, in addition to consumer, medical and military applications. Recently, this technology shows a promising step for indoor positioning accuracy where the functioning of navigation systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS) or GLObal NAvigation Satellite System (GLONASS) might be degraded. In this paper, the fundamental properties of UWB communications are presented with an illustration on the present and future direction of this technology.