Preface

The urgent need to develop wireless broadband communication systems is driving research into both devices and applications for delivering large amounts of information at high data rates. One of the serious candidate technologies to achieve these capabilities is ultra-wideband (UWB). This technology uses very narrow pulses with nanosecond periods and can achieve wide bandwidths over short distances using low power densities. Applications such as real-time location systems for industrial and medical applications are made possible by UWB technology. With the need for more secure and cost-effective options than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, there is growing research interest in UWB technology across the world, and smart devices based on UWB technology will be in widespread use in the coming decades.

This book presents work by different researchers around the world on both devices and applications based on UWB technology. The contributions are arranged in two sections covering UWB technology-based devices and applications, respectively.

Chapter 1 introduces different alternatives that UWB technology is implementing to improve its device design capabilities, taking advantage of materials science to develop more accurate radio frequency location systems. Potential devices include transmitters, antennas, filters, and resonators for applications in emerging UWB systems. A polygonal patch antenna proposed in Chapter 2 is one of the novel devices that can be implemented using UWB technology. This type of antenna can operate in wide bands, reducing the effect of the ground plane through computer simulation of electrical models using a hexagonal geometry with a high gain. The authors exploit a reflector based on an artificial magnetic conductor that offers promising capabilities for the development of UWB technology.

Wideband real-time delay cells for wideband multiple antennas for timed array receivers are proposed in Chapter 3. To optimize the performance required for UWB technology, a compact silicon-based integrated circuit design is suggested for the antennas, based on transmission lines and ladder networks operating at GHz. Active all-pass filters as TTD cells are presented for this purpose.

Chapter 4 examines the SS-TWR (single-sided two-way ranging) and DS-TWR (double-sided two-way ranging) techniques that exploit the 802.15.4a and 802.15.4z standards to develop navigation and active tracking systems. With bidirectional exchanges between the client and the anchor, it is possible to determine the distance between the transmitters and receivers to optimize signal arrival times to achieve wireless communication using UWB technology.

Another innovative application of UWB technology is the development of radio impulse sensing presented in Chapter 5. This type of sensing exploits the integration of location and radar functionalities to transmit signals through hardware with high resolution and multiple communication channels, enabling mobility and transportation applications.

This book will be a valuable source for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for experts and researchers around UWB technology. I appreciate all the time and effort contributed by the research authors. I am also grateful to the staff at IntechOpen, and especially to Ms. Ana Cink for her valuable support during the book editing process. Finally, I wish to thank my wife, my son, my parents, brothers, and sisters for their help and support.

#### **Dr. Rafael Vargas-Bernal**

**1**

Section 1

UWB Technology-Based

Devices

Center for Research and Development in Micro and Nano Technologies (CIDEMYNT), Higher Technological Institute of Irapuato, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México

### Section 1
