Modeling and Jitter Improvement of SRD-Based Ultra-Wideband Pulse Generator

Step recovery diode (SRD)-based ultra-wide band (UWB) pulse generators (PGs) suffer from jitter caused by AM-to-PM conversion, SRD shot noise, and clock jitter. These noise sources significantly impact the accuracy of UWB systems if very high precision ranging/positioning is required. Jitter behavior caused by the transmitter and receiver is mostly detrimental in the equivalent time-sampling receiver. Thus, a mathematical model for simulation of the jitter and amplitude variation effect in the equivalent time-sampling technique has been developed and used in SystemVue simulations. A criterion as an estimate of system accuracy is defined as signal-to-distortion ratio (SDR) and used. Similarly, a model for AM and PM noise analysis for an SRD-based UWB PG is developed that was validated experimentally. In addition, SRD shot-noise contribution on output jitter was evaluated using the proposed model. Based on these models, methods to reduce the output jitter of the system have been recommended. Simulation showed that clock jitter and SRD shot noise led to pronounced output jitter, with shot noise the primary cause. For a typical SRD-based UWB PG, an output jitter of around 3 ps has been achieved using improvement techniques based on the proposed method, compared to a 15-ps jitter before improvement. These measured results are in good agreement with our predictions.