UWB Pulse Oscillator at 24 GHz with 2.1 GHz Bandwidth for Industrial Radar Sensor Applications

A fast pulse oscillator in thin film technique at 24 GHz for high resolution low power industrial radar sensor applications is presented. Both linear and nonlinear simulation techniques as well as a simple mathematical model are employed for design and optimization. The 3dB-bandwidth of the pulse envelope is more than 2.1 GHz, the time duration is less than 480 ps. The average power of the pulses is compliant with FCC regulations for a pulse repetition frequency between 1 MHz and 4 MHz. The oscillator is mounted in a low-cost commercial package for SMT without significant performance degradation. Application in a radar sensor results in a range resolution of 10 cm.