Ultrawideband radio design: the promise of high-speed, short-range wireless connectivity

The paper provides a tutorial overview of ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology for high-speed wireless connectivity. Subsequent to establishing a historical and technological context, it describes the new impetus for UWB systems development and standardization resulting from the FCC´s recent decision to permit unlicensed operation in the 3.1-10.6 GHz band subject to modified Part 15 rules and indicates the potential new applications that may result. Thereafter, the paper provides a system architect´s perspectives on the various issues and challenges involved in the design of link layer subsystems. Specifically, we outline current developments in UWB system design concepts that are oriented to high-speed applications and describe some of the design tradeoffs involved.