A tunable pulse generator for Sub-GHz UWB systems

A tunable ultra-wideband (UWB) pulse generator which complies with the sub-GHz band in FCC regulation is presented. Each pulse-width is adjusted by a common inverter string as delay line and each pulse magnitude is controlled by a current-controlled output stage. The proposed UWB pulse generator is designed and fabricated with AMI 0.5 mum CMOS technology. Test results show that the pulse-width and magnitude of the UWB pulse can be adjusted from 3.36 ns to 4.56 ns and from 289 mV to 337 mV, respectively. A fractional bandwidth is 1.06 and the maximum spectral power depends on pulse repetition frequency (PRF). Total power consumption is 1.3 mW under 3 V power supply with 10 MHz PRF. The maximum pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) of 3 MHz and 10 MHz can be realized within the spectral mask for wireless communications and radar/imaging applications.