Experiments with UWB aircraft sensor networks

We present an ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor network, deployed for aircraft applications. Off-the-shelf IEEE 802.15.4-2011 UWB compliant transceivers are, so far, only used for localization purposes. Thus, we modify transceiver configurations to enable data communication and realize a time division MAC scheme. Shadowing and the impact of passenger mobility are experimentally evaluated. Furthermore, channel attenuation and small-scale fading is analyzed, considering empty and occupied cabin cases and different node deployment positions.