Wavelet vs. Fourier based UWB Systems

In this paper we analyse the application of wavelet transform as an alternative to the conventional Fourier-based multicarrier UWB systems. In Fourier based multicarrier UWB systems a cyclic prefix (CP) with the same length of the channel impulse response must be added to each symbol in order to convert linear convolution into circular convolution. The CP must consist of identical copies of the transmitted data in each symbol and therefore is a waste of bandwidth and resources. In this paper we present a framework for wavelet based multicarrier UWB systems and it is shown that they do not require the cyclic prefix for transmission and, hence throughput increases. Moreover, a closed form formula is derived to represent convolution's counterpart in the wavelet domain. Finally, a performance comparison of both techniques is provided.