Abstract-This paper presents three configurations of Ultra Wideband (UWB) Pulse Generators (PGs). The Generators target low power applications operating in the frequency range 3.1-10.6 GHz. The designs use logic gates and buffered filters to generate a Gaussian 5th derivative pulse. The used technology is 0.13 µm from TSMC. The lowest power consumption and highest BW achieved are 0.13 mW and 7.1 GHz respectively. In terms of Power Spectral Density (PSD), the designs comply with the -41.3 dBm FCC requirements.Index Terms-Ultra wideband, pulse generators, gaussian pulse, ring oscillator.
I. INTRODUCTIONSignals having a Bandwidth (BW) of 500 MHz or a Fractional Bandwidth (BWf) less than or equal to 0.2 are considered as UWB signals according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) definition [1]. In order for UWB applications to coexist with common wireless communication systems without any interference, the FCC has defined PSD masks for different applications. Indoor UWB applications have an allocated bandwidth that extends from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz with a maximum PSD of -41.3 dBm. This PSD level represents the unintentional power radiated from television sets or monitors. UWB signals are characterized by short pulses with duration less than 1 nsec, relatively low power and wide BW. These characteristics migrate UWB from military applications towards commercial applications. Because of its wide BW, UWB signals are suitable for high data rate applications over short distances (several meters) such as wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) [2]. UWB can even be used for shorter distance applications such as Body Area Networks (BAN) [3]. Besides, high data rates UWB signals can also be used for low data rate with higher range as in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) [4] and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications [5].