Ultra-wideband radio
UWB-IR provides a higher data rate yet lower power consumption than conventional alternatives. However, the disadvantage has been a large bandwidth requirement combined with licence fees. The situation changed in 2002 with the allocation of three frequencies for licence-free UWB applications. The EU-funded UWB-IR (Study on low-power multi-Gbps ultra-wideband impulse radio at license-free UWB and 60GHz bands) project planned to design new equipment to study UWB-IR. The intended developments consisted of radio frequency integrated circuits, antennas, microwave impulse circuits, plus customised test structures. Ultimately, the consortium aimed to study public benefit applications of the new bands, during the four years to October 2014. During the first year, project researchers began collaboration with the Japanese company Fujitsu concerning complementary metal-oxide semiconductor files. Using design tools obtained through Europractice, the team designed and redesigned the building blocks necessary for the project, specifically a chip. Second-year work involved further visits to Japan for chip testing. The project disseminated the improved design at a conference. Subsequently, the research moved on to radio frequency integrated circuits for UWB and microstrip antennas. The latter were manufactured at the project's laboratory in Turkey and then tested using a simulation programme. Researchers also designed a single-element high-gain patch antenna, which included an air gap concept. The antenna was also manufactured and tested, showing a gain improvement. Throughout the study's latter phases, the project started collaborations with European institutions, which included certain visits. Project output consisted of three peer-reviewed journal articles plus one accepted for publication. The yield furthermore included numerous conference presentations and one master's thesis. The UWB-IR project studied aspects of particular radio bands, and designed new tools to do so. The new technologies advanced the capacity of the project's host institution to conduct advanced microwave research.
Keywords
Ultra-wideband impulse radio, circuit chip, antenna, 60GHz bands, radio frequency integrated circuits
