Modulation, coding and RF components for ultrawideband impulse radio

This dissertation investigates two types of channel encoders suitable for digital ultra-wideband impulse radio as well as some of the passive components needed for a monolithic implementation. The first type of channel encoder, pseudo-chaotic time hopping (PCTH), uses a chaotic map to perform channel encoding. The second type, interleaved convolutional time hopping (ICTH), utilizes a distance optimized convolutional code to perform channel encoding.; PCTH exploits the Bernoulli shift map and concepts from symbolic dynamics to generate aperiodic spreading sequences. The Bernoulli shift can be considered to be a convolutional code whose bit error rate (BER) performance can be characterized by the transfer function associated with it.; ICTH is a novel time hopping scheme for UWB impulse radio that uses a low-rate distance optimized convolutional code and bit interleaved coded modulation (BICM). BICM is used to decorrelate bit errors within each symbol and to obtain a flat spectrum. The spectral properties of the transmitted signals are discussed for both types of channel encoders. Both PCTH and ICTH utilize multilevel pulse-position modulation (PPM).; This dissertation also presents a multiple access technique suitable for UWB impulse radio. For PCTH, an analytical expression of the BER performance is provided as a function of the number of users and the cross-correlation between users. Monte Carlo simulation is used for comparison to the analytical results.; A complete impulse radio system requires significant baseband and RF electronics to implement. Integrated passive components such as transmission lines, inductors and transformers play an important role in any RF integrated circuit. In this work, passive devices were fabricated in a Si/SiGe HBT process with standard metallization and a thick polyimide dielectric. Microstrip transmission lines, conventional planar inductors, lateral inductors and lateral transformers were fabricated and are discussed.