EuroEM 2000_Applications-1MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

Recent Applicationsof Ultra Wideband Radar and

Communications Systems

Dr. Robert J. Fontana, President

Multispectral Solutions, Inc.Gaithersburg, Maryland USA

http://www.multispectral.com

EuroEM 2000_Applications-2MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

Multispectral Solutions, Inc.n Small U.S. Business (Incorporated in 1989)

n Specializes in the development of custom solutions for communicationsand high resolution radar

– Core expertise in high-speed digital & wideband RF

n 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 Satellite Systems High-Speed Parallel Systems

EuroEM 2000_Applications-3MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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

n Large fractional bandwidth waveforms– Typically a few cycles of an RF “carrier”

n Numerous techniques for UWB waveform generation– Direct impulse excitation of antenna– Spectrally filtered approaches

What is Ultra Wideband?

Direct Impulse UWB

0 Hz 3 GHz

Spectrally Filtered UWB

1 GHz 2 GHz

EuroEM 2000_Applications-4MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

n Extremely difficult to intercept– Short pulse excitation generates wideband spectra – low energy densities– Low energy density also minimizes interference to other services

n Multipath immunityTime-gated detector can excise delayed returns – time separation

n 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

n Low Cost– Nearly “all-digital” architecture

• ideal for microminiaturization into a chipset– Frequency diversity with minimal hardware modifications

Ultra Wideband Advantages

EuroEM 2000_Applications-5MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

UWB Applications

• High Speed (20+ Mb/s) WLANs• Altimeter/Obstacle Avoidance Radars

(commercial aviation)• Collision Avoidance Sensors• Tags (Intelligent Transportation

Systems, Electronic Signs, SmartAppliances)

• Intrusion Detection Radars• Precision Geolocation Systems• Industrial RF Monitoring Systems

Commercial

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

EuroEM 2000_Applications-6MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

1990 OSD/DARPA “Assessment of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology”

UWB Technology Development

1963 G. Ross – Ph.D. thesis in time-domain electromagnetics

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1986 Ross/Fontana – First fielded “short pulse” UWB Communications system

1978 Bennett & Ross – “Time-Domain Electromagnetics and Its Applications” – Seminal paper on UWB

1972 Robbins – Fundamental patent for UWB single-pulse detector U.S. Patent No. 3,662,316

1978 Ross et al. – First demonstrated (free space) UWB communications system

1973 Ross – Fundamental patent on UWB communications U.S. Patent No. 3,728,632

1965 G. Ross – Sperry Research development of UWB technology (1965-1980)

1984 Ross/Fontana collaboration on UWB communications systems development (MSSI/ANRO)

1994 First UNCLASSIFIED UWB communications programs

Late 1950’s Need for impulse response analysis of microwave N-ports (Lincoln Lab, Sperry, others)

1974 Morey – Fundamental patent on UWB ground penetrating radar U.S. Patent No. 3,806,795

UWB has a long history of development

MSSI – 34 UWB development programs for Government & military (1994-present)

EuroEM 2000_Applications-7MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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• 1-2 km with low profile, omni antennas• Multiple mile performance with higher gain

antennas

27% Fractional BW

EuroEM 2000_Applications-8MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

UWB Communications Ultra Wideband Ad Hoc Network Radios

Design Characteristics– Mobile ad hoc Network (MANET) radio

• Multi-node, multi-hop

– Frequency-division multiplex/Time-divisionmultiple access• Rockwell-Collins Orthogonal Domain Multiple

Access (ODMA)

– Type 1 encryption• 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, omniantennas

UWB UHFTransceiver

CryptoInterface

Micro-controller

Front PanelDisplay &Keypad

NetworkProcessing

Unit

ApplicationComputer

Voice/Data

High-Speed Data Interface

MBITRWidebandAntenna

Serial Ethernet

MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

EuroEM 2000_Applications-9MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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 designL-band center frequency

– C-band version also developed

• 27% fractional BW (IBW/fo)

– Range• Up to 5 miles LOS, omni antennas

EuroEM 2000_Applications-10MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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

– 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

40% Fractional BW

0 Hz 100 MHz

EuroEM 2000_Applications-11MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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)

EuroEM 2000_Applications-12MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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• Spectrally shaped waveform design• L-band center frequency

27% fractional BW• Packet burst, 100 updates/second

– Leading edge detector for sub-footresolution

– Range• Up to 2 km outdoors• Up to 300 feet indoors (5-25 dB/wall

attenuation)

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EuroEM 2000_Applications-13MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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• 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’

EuroEM 2000_Applications-14MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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

UWB Radar UWB Collision Avoidance Backup Sensor

600 MHz BW“Smart” license plate• C-band collision avoidanceradar• L-band tag (vehicle-to-vehicle & vehicle-to-roadside)

4.75 GHz 6.75 GHz

EuroEM 2000_Applications-15MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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• 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

UWB Radar UWB Intrusion Detection

EuroEM 2000_Applications-16MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

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

UWB Radar UWB Fuze and Collision Avoidance Radars

4 GHz BW

7 GHz 13 GHz

EuroEM 2000_Applications-17MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

MSSI UWB Technology Advances

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EuroEM 2000_Applications-18MULTISPECTRAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

n UWB Development – Key areas of current interest

– Mobile ad hoc wireless networks– Precision geolocation

– Low power tags– Short range radar sensors

n UWB Research– Channel coding and estimation (U.C. San Diego, University of

Michigan, Northeastern University)

– Multi-user architectures (Northeastern University, University ofNorth Carolina, U.C. San Diego)

– UWB chipset (U.C. Berkeley)

– UWB antennas & systems (Stanford University, ARL-UT & Universityof Texas, Austin)

n UWB Commercialization

– FCC Notice for Proposed Rule Making (Modifications to FCC Part 15)

What’s Next for UWB?