An Implementation of a Sub-nanosecond UWB Pulse Generator

In this paper, we present an ultra-wideband (UWB) pulse generator based on the step recovery diode. The principle of operation and the architecture of the developed pulse generator are explained. Furthermore, hardware implementation issues and the details on the generated UWB pulse including its peak voltage equal to 8.9 V, its full width at half maximum (fwhm) equal to 240 ps, and frequency spectrum are provided. The UWB pulse generator incorporates not only a high frequency part, but also a trigger signal part that is based on a low-power MSP430F2121 microcontroller. The averaged total power consumption of the complete UWB pulse generator is 185 mW @ 3.3 V supply voltage.