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A/D Precision Requirements for Digital Ultra-Wideband Radio Receivers

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Abstract

Ultra wideband radio (UWB) is a new wireless technology that uses narrow pulses to transmit information. Implementing an “all-digital” UWB receiver has numerous potential benefits ranging from low-cost and ease-of-design to flexibility. Digitizing an RF signal near the antenna, however, introduces its own set of challenges and has traditionally been considered infeasible. A high-speed, high-resolution analog-digital converter (ADC) is difficult to design, and is extremely power-hungry. The viability of an “all-digital” architecture, therefore, hinges upon the specifications of this block. In this paper, we demonstrate that 4 bits of resolution are sufficient for reliable detection of a typical UWB signal that is swamped in noise and interference.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microsystems Technology Laboratory, MIT Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Puneet P. Newaskar, Raul Blazquez & Anantha P. Chandrakasan

Authors
  1. Puneet P. Newaskar
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  2. Raul Blazquez
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  3. Anantha P. Chandrakasan
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Newaskar, P.P., Blazquez, R. & Chandrakasan, A.P. A/D Precision Requirements for Digital Ultra-Wideband Radio Receivers. The Journal of VLSI Signal Processing-Systems for Signal, Image, and Video Technology 39, 175–188 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VLSI.0000047279.58292.83

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VLSI.0000047279.58292.83

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