Ultra-Wideband
Technology
Group 6
Will Culberson and Ben Henley
Key Words: Bandwidth,
Spectrum, Transmission, Radio wave
In a time where
information and communication are extremely important, a new telecommunications
mechanism promises exciting advancements.
Ultra-Wideband technology (UWB) is a new way of transmitting information
that will provide significant advancements in the way people transmit
information. UWB
technology-based products will enable high-speed transferring of multimedia
content between devices in the home or office, at lower costs and without the
hassle of wires. This new way of
transferring information will provide new advancements in technology that
businesses and the general public will be able to enjoy. UWB technology will allow offices to
become almost completely wireless. A UWB equipped office will have no wires
or cables running from printers to computers or from projectors and
monitors. The wide bandwidth will
allow enormous amounts of information to be easily transferred from a computer
to a printer without any wire connection.
Fire departments and law enforcement agencies will be able to locate
people trapped in burning buildings using UWB devices that can find people
through walls. The general public
will be able to use UWB technology to play their home recorded videos on a
television without connecting any wires.
Also home users could setup highly efficient personal wireless
networks. UWB technology will
provide numerous advancements that everyone will benefit from.
Ultra wideband (UWB) technology can be defined as any wireless transmission scheme occupying a bandwidth of more than 1.5 gigahertz (GHz). A traditional UWB transmitter works by sending billions of pulses across a very wide spectrum of frequency that is several GHz in bandwidth. The corresponding receiver then translates the pulses into data by listening for a familiar pulse sequence sent by the transmitter. UWB uses high-frequency microwave pulses for transmitting digital data over a wide spectrum of frequency bands with very low power intensity. This new method will allow data to be transmitted at very high rates (for wireless local area network applications) and very low rates (for telemetry applications). Traditional wireless technology transmits sine wave signals, but UWB radio transmits precisely timed digital pulses across a wide spectrum. A UWB transmitter and receiver must be coordinated to send and receive pulses with an accuracy of trillionths of a second. This new method will allow signals to carry through doors and other obstacles that tend to reflect traditional signals with limited bandwidths.
Before a company can develop and sell UWB devices, they must obtain permission from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA). Several major companies have been granted permission for UWB research and development, including U.S. Radar Inc., Time Domain, Zircon Corporation, IBM, and Intel. Although UWB technology has been around since the 1980s, it has only been used in radar applications. These companies are discovering new ways to use the old technology to develop revolutionary technological innovations. Commercial entities, such as Intel and IBM, are currently working on internally funded research projects to further explore the potential benefits and future challenges associated with extending UWB technology into the high-rate communications arena. There are some challenges that these companies must overcome in order for UWB technology to become widely available. One concern is how UWB radio waves will interfere with GPS and other wireless signals. The FCC has not made a final ruling on the future of UWB technology, but it is currently working on setting emissions limits that would allow UWB communications systems on an unlicensed basis. The FCC and NTIA are working with these companies to explore the benefits of UWB technology and ensure safe and proper use.
The features and advantages that UWB will provide are numerous. Businesses, government, and the general public will all greatly benefit from UWB innovations. The general public will enjoy new security devices made possible by UWB technology. The government will use a new device developed by Time Domain that can detect the location of people in burning buildings. The UWB radio waves will penetrate walls in buildings and send an image of the bodies back to the firefighters. Military and police can also use these devices to locate criminals or hostages in buildings. Another feature of UWB will be improved home entertainment systems. The systems will be completely wireless and the television can recognize the user and automatically turn on one’s favorite channels.
Businesses will become more efficient with the use of UWB technology. Companies such as IBM and Intel will directly benefit from innovations in UWB. These new entrant companies will be able to capitalize on large demands for the UWB devices. All businesses will enjoy more secure and faster transaction processing with UWB technology. The transmissions have a very low radio frequency signature, providing exceptionally secure transmissions. Offices and buildings will be able to eliminate unsightly and annoying wires that clutter office spaces. UWB equipment uses an extremely small amount of power, compared to regular bandwidth technology. Businesses can reduce power cost and conserve energy. The cell phone industry could also be impacted by UWB. Cell phones could be equipped with a bandwidth option. With a bandwidth option, when a cell phone user enters an UWB-equipped building, that user could switch over from a cellular tower to a UWB transmitter in the building. This will allow more efficient use of communications channels. Since UWB technology is not capable of transmission over long distances, it will not completely replace traditional transmission methods but will compliment them. These are only some of the direct uses and benefits of UWB technology, more uses and advancements are expected in the future.
Ultra-Wideband technology is a revolutionary new telecommunications innovation. This new way of transmitting information will not only provide many great home and consumer uses, but also improve efficiency in government agencies and businesses. Using high-frequency microwave pulses for transmitting digital data over a wide spectrum of frequency bands, allows information to be transferred rapidly and securely over short distances. This technology will have far reaching effects in the wireless and computer industry. Markets for UWB devices and equipment will develop and businesses will capitalize on the high demand. Even though UWB is not currently capable of long distance transmissions, the advantages are still tremendous. A world with tangled wires cluttering homes and offices is soon to be in the past. As companies continue to research and develop UWB technology, an exciting future in technology awaits us.
References
Emerging Wireless
Technologies, Ultra-Wideband Communications. Retrieved
Intel. Ultra-Wideband Technology,
Technology and Research at Intel. Retrieved
Wikipedia. Ultra-Wideband. Retrieved
Ultra Wideband
Technology
Group 6