Ultra‐low power low‐complexity 3–7.5 GHz IR‐UWB transmitter with spectrum tunability

An impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) transmitter (TX) consuming ultra-low power is presented. The low-complexity topology features control of the power spectral density (PSD) and central frequency for a broad range of applications. The PSD and frequency adjustment are accomplished by employing a tunable pulse generator and an adjustable driver. The IR-UWB TX suitable for on–off keying coding is fabricated in a low-cost 180 nm UMC CMOS technology and occupies the total die area of 0.63 mm2. The measurement results show the transmitter output swing of 320 mVpp (peak-to-peak amplitude) with the pulse duration of 0.6 ns, and the spectrum covering the frequency range from 3 to 7.5 GHz. The total DC power consumption is 1 mW resulting in energy consumption of 5 pJ/pulse at 200 MHz data rate.