Evaluation of the propagation characteristics of ultra-wideband communication channels

A novel application of the CLEAN algorithm is proposed to characterize ultra-wideband (UWB) communication channels from measured data. In order to gain a more complete understanding of the potential of UWB radio communication systems, it is important to have an accurate model of the propagation characteristics of the transmitted waveforms. In particular, the existence of multipath components arriving at the receiver with different time delays and from different directions can create a dynamic and extended channel impulse response. Characterization of the propagation channel may therefore influence the design of the RAKE receiver diversity algorithms for this channel. This paper presents a technique for the analysis of UWB signals received on an array of sensors. The goal is to use this technique to develop channel models on which spatio-temporal UWB radio algorithms can be treated with confidence.