A Time-Based Angle-of-Arrival Sensor Using CMOS IR-UWB Transceivers

In this paper, we present a time-based angle-of-arrival (AoA) sensor using the impulse-radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) technology. Arrival angles are estimated using the time difference of the received signal, which is transmitted from a target between two IR-UWB receivers. The most salient feature of this system is high precision angle estimation, which is possible with simple and compact hardware, because its operation is based on a time-based approach. The receiver in the AoA sensor consumes 50 mA at 1.2 V supply voltage and the sensitivity is -61 dBm. The measurement result shows that angle error is lower than ±1°.