A comparison between UWB and DSSS for use in a multiple access secure wireless sensor network

In this paper we compare the performance of two multiple access modulation schemes for use in a secure wireless sensor network. The first is binary direct sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) while the second is ultra-wide-band pulse position modulation (UWB-PPM). Parameter values were chosen to allow each system to operate with equal bandwidths. For UWB to give a performance competitive to DSSS on an equal bandwidth and equal energy per bit basis, it is necessary to go to higher modulation orders than binary. Thus, one must give up part of the competitive advantage of UWB, namely simplicity, to obtain performance comparable to DSSS.