Test bed design for detect and avoid of ultra wideband devices

Abstract

Ultra Wideband (UWB) radio regulations have been debated for long time because of the potential interference that can be caused by UWB radios to other radio systems with which they share the spectrum. A mitigation technique for UWB devices called Detect and Avoid (DAA) has been proposed as a potential solution to decrease the risk of interference. Radio regulators have proposed the adoption of DAA in certain regulatory domains and for specific radio frequency bands. DAA can be considered a simple form of cognitive radio, where UWB devices sense the presence of the primary user and use the spectrum only if it is deemed empty. DAA testing has distinctive technical challenges including the detection of very low emission power levels, which require very sensitive test equipment. The paper presents the design of a test bed to verify the correct implementation of DAA mitigation techniques by UWB devices. The paper describes the testing challenges and related test bed design solutions for both radiated and conducted test environments.