Recent System Applications of Short-Pulse Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology

Developed in the early 1960s, time-domain electromagnetics, the study of electromagnetic-wave propagation from a time-domain perspective, has given birth to a fascinating new technology, which today is commonly referred to as ultra-wideband (UWB). It has now been slightly more than 25 years since the 1978 seminal paper of Bennett and Ross, which summarized UWB's early applications. It thus seems appropriate, given the tremendous increase in interest in the technology since the Federal Communications Commission modified its Part 15 rules to accommodate UWB transmissions, to take a look at more recent system applications of this unique technology. This paper provides a brief historical perspective of UWB, discusses recent techniques for the generation and reception of short-pulse electromagnetic waveforms, and examines a number of recently developed UWB systems in the communications, radar, and precision-positioning fields. Finally, a brief assessment of future trends for the technology is provided.