Recent Applications of Ultra Wideband Radar and Communications Systems Dr. Robert J. Fontana, President Multispectral Solutions, Inc. Gaithersburg, Maryland USA http://www.multispectral.com
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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Multispectral Solutions, Inc. n n
Small U.S. Business (Incorporated in 1989) Specializes in the development of custom solutions for communications and high resolution radar – Core expertise in high-speed digital & wideband RF
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Industry Leader in Rapidly Emerging UWB Technology – 34 new UWB program awards in past 11 years – 29 UWB awards within last 5 years
Ultra Wideband Systems
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
Satellite Systems
High-Speed Parallel Systems EuroEM 2000_Applications-2
What is Ultra Wideband? n
Developed as outcome of time-domain electromagnetics work – Ross (1962) – Originally referred to as “baseband”, “carrier-free”, or “impulse” – Earliest applications in high resolution radar
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Large fractional bandwidth waveforms – Typically a few cycles of an RF “carrier” Numerous techniques for UWB waveform generation – Direct impulse excitation of antenna – Spectrally filtered approaches
Direct Impulse UWB 0 Hz
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
Spectrally Filtered UWB 3 GHz
1 GHz
2 GHz EuroEM 2000_Applications-3
Ultra Wideband Advantages n
Extremely difficult to intercept – Short pulse excitation generates wideband spectra – low energy densities – Low energy density also minimizes interference to other services
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Multipath immunity Time-gated detector can excise delayed returns – time separation
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Commonality of signal generation and processing architectures – Communications • LPI/D, High Data Rates, Multipath Tolerance – Radar • Inherent high precision – sub-centimeter ranging • Wideband excitation for detection of complex, low RCS targets – Geolocation/Positioning • Sub-centimeter resolution using pulse leading edge detection
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Low Cost – Nearly “all-digital” architecture • ideal for microminiaturization into a chipset – Frequency diversity with minimal hardware modifications
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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UWB Applications Military/Government • Tactical Handheld & Network LPI/D Radios • Non-LOS LPI/D Groundwave Communications • LPI/D Altimeter/Obstacle Avoidance Radar • Tags • Intrusion Detection Radars • Precision Geolocation Systems • UAV/UGV Datalinks • Proximity Fuzes • LPI/D Wireless Intercom Systems
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
Commercial • High Speed (20+ Mb/s) WLANs • Altimeter/Obstacle Avoidance Radars (commercial aviation) • Collision Avoidance Sensors • Tags (Intelligent Transportation Systems, Electronic Signs, Smart Appliances) • Intrusion Detection Radars • Precision Geolocation Systems • Industrial RF Monitoring Systems
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UWB Technology Development 2010
UWB has a long history of development 2000
MSSI – 34 UWB development programs for Government & military (1994-present) 1994 First UNCLASSIFIED UWB communications programs
1990
1990 OSD/DARPA “Assessment of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology” 1986 Ross/Fontana – First fielded “short pulse” UWB Communications system 1984 Ross/Fontana collaboration on UWB communications systems development (MSSI/ANRO)
1980
1970
1978 Bennett & Ross – “Time-Domain Electromagnetics and Its Applications” – Seminal paper on UWB 1978 Ross et al. – First demonstrated (free space) UWB communications system 1974 Morey – Fundamental patent on UWB ground penetrating radar U.S. Patent No. 3,806,795 1973 Ross – Fundamental patent on UWB communications U.S. Patent No. 3,728,632 1972 Robbins – Fundamental patent for UWB single-pulse detector U.S. Patent No. 3,662,316
1965 G. Ross – Sperry Research development of UWB technology (1965-1980) 1963 G. Ross – Ph.D. thesis in time-domain electromagnetics
1960 Late 1950’s Need for impulse response analysis of microwave N-ports (Lincoln Lab, Sperry, others)
1950
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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UWB Communications
Ultra Wideband Handheld Radios Design Characteristics – – – – – –
LPI/D digital voice/data radio Full duplex Packet burst, CSMA-CD 128 kb/s (CVSD voice), 115.2 kb/s (data) 1W peak 400 MHz instantaneous bandwidth • Unique, spectrally shaped waveform design • L-band center frequency • 27% fractional BW (IBW/fo)
– Range 27% Fractional BW
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
• 1-2 km with low profile, omni antennas • Multiple mile performance with higher gain antennas
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UWB Communications
Ultra Wideband Ad Hoc Network Radios Design Characteristics – Mobile ad hoc Network (MANET) radio • Multi-node, multi-hop
– Frequency-division multiplex/Time-division multiple access • Rockwell-Collins Orthogonal Domain Multiple Access (ODMA)
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
– Type 1 encryption High-Speed Data Interface Serial
MBITR Wideband Antenna
UWB UHF Transceiver
Network Processing Unit
Ethernet
Crypto Interface
Voice/Data
Microcontroller
Front Panel Display & Keypad
Application Computer
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
• Racal Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) interface • 128 kb/s voice, 115.2 kb/s data
– 1.544 Mb/s (T1) virtual channel – 10W peak, > 20% fractional BW (VHF/UHF) – Range • 1-2 km (node-to-node) with low profile, omni antennas EuroEM 2000_Applications-8
UWB Communications
High-speed Ultra Wideband Radios Design Characteristics – LPI/D command & control uplink and video downlink for UAVs and ground robots – Full duplex TDMA packet burst • C&C uplink (115.2 kb/s) • Video downlink (1-25 Mb/s compressed)
– 2W peak – 400 MHz instantaneous bandwidth • Spectrally shaped waveform design L-band center frequency – C-band version also developed
• 27% fractional BW (IBW/fo)
– Range • Up to 5 miles LOS, omni antennas
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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UWB Communications
Ultra Wideband Groundwave Radios Design Characteristics – Non-LOS radio using surface/ground wave propagation – Half duplex – 128 kb/s (CVSD voice), 115.2 kb/s (data) – 10-35W, low VHF (30-45 MHz) • 40% Fractional BW 40% Fractional BW
– Relay mode (packet forwarding) – Range • 10+ miles depending upon terrain with omni (vertical polarization) antennas • Performance function of ground permittivity & conductivity – Improved performance over sea water
0 Hz
100 MHz
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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UWB Communications Ultra Wideband Tags Design Characteristics – UWB tag for detection and identification of problem drivers – Vehicle-to-roadside communications of driver & vehicle information (image, data) – 0.2W peak, 400 MHz instantaneous BW • • • •
Spectrally shaped waveform design L-band center frequency 27% fractional BW 115.2 kb/s packet burst mode
– Range • 800’ range in high multipath environment • 2000’+ (line-of-sight)
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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UWB Localization
Ultra Wideband Precision Geolocation Design Characteristics – 3-D position from time-of-flight measurements • UWB Rover with multiple UWB Beacons
– 4W peak, 400 MHz instantaneous BW
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MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
• Spectrally shaped waveform design • L-band center frequency 27% fractional BW • Packet burst, 100 updates/second
– Leading edge detector for sub-foot resolution – Range • Up to 2 km outdoors • Up to 300 feet indoors (5-25 dB/wall attenuation)
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UWB Radar
UWB Altimeter & Obstacle Avoidance Radar Design Characteristics – UWB altimeter & obstacle avoidance system – Spectrally shaped waveform design – L-band altimeter • • • •
1.0W peak, 400 MHz instantaneous BW 1.3-1.7 GHz, 27% fractional BW 25 µW average power @ 10kpps ~5000 feet range, < 1 foot resolution
– C-band collision/obstacle avoidance sensor • • • •
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
0.25W peak, 500 MHz instantaneous BW 5.4-5.9 GHz, 8.9% fractional BW 5 µW average power @ 10kpps High sensitivity – 1/4” diam. wire @ 300’
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UWB Radar
UWB Collision Avoidance Backup Sensor Design Characteristics – C-band UWB backup sensor • 0.25W peak, 500 MHz instantaneous BW • 5.25-5.85 GHz, 10.8% fractional BW • 5 µW average power
– High-speed, dual tunnel detector – Range • 1 - 50 feet against human target • 1 - 200 feet against pickup truck
– Clutter resistant – Extremely low false alarm rate – range gate cutoff “Smart” license plate • C-band collision avoidance
600 MHz BW 4.75 GHz
6.75 GHz
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
radar • L-band tag (vehicle-tovehicle & vehicle-to-roadside) EuroEM 2000_Applications-14
UWB Radar
UWB Intrusion Detection Design Characteristics – L-band Through-the-wall sensor • • • •
1.0W peak, 400 MHz instantaneous BW 1.3-1.7 GHz, 27% fractional BW 25 µW average power @ 10kpps 0-200 feet (through wall)
– L-band Intrusion Sensor • • • •
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
4.0W peak, 400 MHz instantaneous BW 1.3-1.7 GHz, 27% fractional BW 100 µW average power @ 10kpps 1000 feet against human target
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UWB Radar
UWB Fuze and Collision Avoidance Radars Design Characteristics – X-band UWB fuze • • • •
0.20W peak, 4.0 GHz instantaneous BW 8.0-12.0 GHz, 40% fractional BW 0.5 µW average power 6” to 6’ range (by design)
– X-band Collision Avoidance Sensor • Design for micro air vehicle applications • Wideband patch antennas
4 GHz BW
7 GHz
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
13 GHz EuroEM 2000_Applications-16
MSSI UWB Technology Advances 1000 Demonstrated 100 10
Data Rate (Mb/s) Range (km)
1 0.1
19 86 19 87 19 88 19 89 19 90 19 91 19 92 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00
0.01
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What’s Next for UWB? n
UWB Development – Key areas of current interest – Mobile ad hoc wireless networks – Precision geolocation – Low power tags – Short range radar sensors
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UWB Research – Channel coding and estimation (U.C. San Diego, University of Michigan, Northeastern University) – Multi-user architectures (Northeastern University, University of North Carolina, U.C. San Diego) – UWB chipset (U.C. Berkeley) – UWB antennas & systems (Stanford University, ARL-UT & University of Texas, Austin)
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UWB Commercialization – FCC Notice for Proposed Rule Making (Modifications to FCC Part 15)
MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
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