UWB for Target Identification

"We propose to develop a target identification system using Time Modulated Ultra-Wide Band (TM-UWB) radars. The prototype hardware will be based on the TM-UWB ASIC chips developed by Time Domain Corporation of Huntsville AL. The only signals transmittedby UWB radars are pulses generated pseudo-randomly in time. The pulses we are currently using are ¿ nanosecond in duration and the energy extends approximately from roughly .8 to 3 gigahertz. The energy content in any conventional frequency band is belowthe noise, making TM-UWB transmission highly covert unless you know the specific pseudo-random sequence. With TM-UWB there is no carrier frequency, no up-conversion and no down-conversion, and the output stage can be a single transistor which creates abinary pulse, all resulting in decreased radio size, cost, and complexity. The duty cycle of the pulse generated by our current hardware is approximately 1/200, resulting in low power consumption because 99.5% of the time, nothing is being transmitted.Because of the low frequency content of TM-UWB signals, they are able to penetrate foliage and nonmetallic obstacles better than conventional radars. During Phase I, we will design a UWB conformal array antenna system and demonstrate the prototype systemin a laboratory environment. The primary potential military application for this technology is the location and identification of obscured objects. Civilian applications include future tim