Integration of a Pulse Generator on Chip Into a Compact Ultrawideband Antenna

For impulse radio ultrawideband communications an ldquoantenna plus generatorrdquo system is co-designed and an on chip generator is integrated into the antenna. This approach does away with the need for intermediate transmission lines conventionally placed between an RF device/generator and an antenna and therefore eliminates the need for a balun, prevents excitation of the common-mode currents and allows the device to be mounted directly on the antenna. The antenna and generator are designed taking into account both impedance matching and the generator's influence on the antenna's radiation properties. The suggested approach is verified experimentally at a scaled up version of the antenna.