Search Results (58)

Compact antennas with ultra-wideband operation and stable radiation are essential for portable and airborne ground-penetrating radar (GPR), yet miniaturization in the sub 3 GHz region is strongly constrained by the wavelength-driven aperture requirement and often leads to impedance discontinuity and radiation instability. This paper presents a compact aperture-slot antipodal Vivaldi antenna (AS-AVA) designed under a radiation stability-driven co-design strategy, where the miniaturization features are organized along the energy propagation path from the feed to the flared aperture. The proposed structure combines (i) aperture-slot current-path engineering with controlled meandering to extend the low-frequency edge, (ii) four tilted rectangular slots near the aperture to restrain excessive edge currents and suppress sidelobes, and (iii) back-loaded parasitic patches for coupling-based impedance refinement to eliminate residual mismatch pockets. A fabricated prototype on FR-4 (thickness 1.93 mm) occupies $111.15\times 156.82$ mm² and achieves a measured $S_{11}$ below $-10$ dB from 0.63 to 2.03 GHz (fractional bandwidth 105.26%). The measured realized gain increases from 2.1 to 7.5 dBi across the operating band, with stable far-field radiation patterns; the group delay measured over 0.6–2.1 GHz remains within 4–8 ns, indicating good time-domain fidelity for stepped-frequency continuous-wave (SFCW) operation. Finally, the antenna pair is integrated into an SFCW-GPR testbed and validated in sandbox and outdoor experiments, where buried metallic targets and a subgrade void produce clear B-scan signatures after standard processing. These results confirm that the proposed AS-AVA provides a practical trade-off among miniaturization, broadband matching, and radiation robustness for compact sub 3 GHz GPR platforms. Full article

A compact high-gain antipodal Vivaldi antenna with ultra-wideband (UWB) performance ranging from 1 GHz to 25 GHz is proposed and demonstrated. The antenna features two sets of tapered exponential slots along the flare edges to enhance low-frequency impedance matching and broaden the operating bandwidth. To address high-frequency gain degradation, a rhombus-shaped metamaterial array is embedded within the tapered slot region, effectively improving radiation directivity and suppressing gain roll-off without enlarging the antenna footprint. Full-wave simulations and experimental measurements confirm that the proposed antenna achieves a well-matched impedance bandwidth from 1 to 25 GHz, with a peak gain of 15.84 dBi. Notably, the gain remains consistently above 14 dBi in the high-frequency region, verifying the effectiveness of the embedded metamaterial structure. The proposed design successfully balances wideband operation, high gain, and compact form factor, offering a promising solution for space-constrained UWB applications in communication, sensing, and imaging systems. Full article

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used indoors for inspection, security, and emergency tasks. Achieving accurate and robust localization under Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unavailability and obstacle occlusions is therefore a critical challenge. Due to their inherent physical limitations, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)–based localization errors accumulate over time, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) measurements suffer from systematic biases in Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) environments and Visual–Inertial Odometry (VIO) depends heavily on environmental features, making it susceptible to long-term drift. We propose a tightly coupled fusion framework based on the Error-State Kalman Filter (ESKF). Using an IMU motion model for prediction, the method incorporates raw UWB ranges, VIO relative poses, and TFmini altitude in the update step. To suppress abnormal UWB measurements, a multi-epoch outlier rejection method constrained by VIO is developed, which can robustly eliminate NLOS range measurements and effectively mitigate the influence of outliers on observation updates. This framework improves both observation quality and fusion stability. We validate the proposed method on a real-world platform in an underground parking garage. Experimental results demonstrate that, in complex indoor environments, the proposed approach exhibits significant advantages over existing algorithms, achieving higher localization accuracy and robustness while effectively suppressing UWB NLOS errors as well as IMU and VIO drift. Full article

A Q-enhanced notch filter for interference-rejection LNAs is proposed in this brief. The active capacitance is introduced into the notch filter to improve the quality factor by the negative resistance effect. The designed notch filter achieves excellent performance with a narrow attenuation bandwidth from 5.75 GHz to 5.95 GHz, which can be applied to suppress interference from the IEEE 802.11a. To validate the feasibility of the proposed trap filter in both GaAs process technology and principle, a 3–15 GHz ultra-wideband low-noise amplifier was designed and fabricated using a 0.15-micron gallium arsenide pseudomorphs field-effect transistor process. The frequency-dependent feedback loops are employed between gate and drain stages for wideband input matching and gain flatness. The notch filter is inserted between two stages of the LNA. The measurement results show that the interference-rejection LNA achieves a maximum gain of 24.5 dB and a minimum noise figure of 1.8 dB in the operating band. The notch filter has a maximum interference-rejection ratio of 35.2 dB at 5.8 GHz with almost no effect on the desired gain of the LNA. The LNA has a power consumption of 168 mW, including the notch filter with a size of 1.93 × 0.72 mm². Full article

In ultra-wideband (UWB) radio fuzes, the signal processing unit’s capability to rapidly and accurately extract target characteristics under battlefield conditions directly determines detonation precision and reliability. Escalating electronic warfare creates complex electromagnetic environments that compromise UWB fuze reliability through false alarms and missed detections. This study pioneers a novel signal processing architecture. The framework integrates: (1) fixed-parameter Least Mean Squares (LMS) front-end filtering for interference suppression; (2) One-Dimensional Convnlutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) recognition trained on One-Dimensional Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (1D-CGAN)-augmented datasets. Validated on test samples, the system achieves 0% false alarm/miss detection rates and 97.66% segment recognition accuracy—representing a 5.32% improvement over the baseline 1D-CNN model trained solely on original data. This breakthrough resolves energy-threshold detection’s critical vulnerability to deliberate jamming while establishing a new technical framework for UWB fuze operation in contested spectra. Full article

Accurate and non-invasive assessment of fat and muscle composition is crucial for biomedical monitoring to track health conditions in humans and pets, as well as for classifying meats in the meat industry. This study introduces a cost-effective, multifunctional ultra-wideband microwave system operating from 2.4 to 4.4 GHz, designed for rapid and non-destructive quantification of fat thickness, muscle thickness, and fat-to-muscle ratio in diverse ex vivo samples, including pork, beef, and oil–water mixtures. The compact handheld device integrates essential RF components such as a frequency synthesizer, directional coupler, logarithmic power detector, and a dual-polarized Vivaldi antenna. Bluetooth telemetry enables seamless real-time data transmission to mobile- or PC-based platforms, with each measurement completed in a few seconds. To enhance signal quality, a two-stage denoising pipeline combining low-pass filtering and Savitzky–Golay smoothing was applied, effectively suppressing noise while preserving key spectral features. Using a random forest regression model trained on resonance frequency and signal-loss features, the system demonstrates high predictive performance even under limited sample conditions. Correlation coefficients for fat thickness, muscle thickness, and fat-to-muscle ratio consistently exceeded 0.90 across all sample types, while mean absolute errors remained below 3.5 mm. The highest prediction accuracy was achieved in homogeneous oil–water samples, whereas biologically complex tissues like pork and beef introduced greater variability, particularly in muscle-related measurements. The proposed microwave system is highlighted as a highly portable and time-efficient solution, with measurements completed within seconds. Its low cost, ability to analyze multiple tissue types using a single device, and non-invasive nature without the need for sample pre-treatment or anesthesia make it well suited for applications in agri-food quality control, point-of-care diagnostics, and broader biomedical fields. Full article

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is a crucial facilitator for high-data-rate wireless communication due to its extensive frequency spectrum and low power consumption. Simultaneously, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have garnered considerable attention owing to their capability to enhance channel capacity and link dependability. This article discusses the development of small, high-performance MIMO UWB antennas with mutual suppression capabilities to fully use the benefits of both technologies. Additionally, the suggested antenna features a straightforward design and dual-band-notched characteristics. The antenna structure includes two radiating elements measuring 85 × 45 mm². These elements use a rectangular patch provided by a coplanar waveguide (CPW). Double U-shaped slots are incorporated into the rectangular patch to introduce dual-band-notched properties, which help mitigate interference from WiMAX and WLAN communication systems. The antenna is fabricated on a Mylar^® polyester film substrate of 0.3 mm in thickness, with a dielectric constant of 3.2. According to the measurement results, the suggested antenna functions efficiently across the frequency spectrum of 2.29 to 20 GHz, with excellent impedance matching throughout the bandwidth. Furthermore, it provides dual-band-notched coverage at 3.08–3.8 GHz for WiMAX and 4.98–5.89 GHz for WLAN. The antenna exhibits impressive performance, including favorable radiation attributes, consistent gain, and little mutual coupling (less than −20 dB). Additionally, the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is extremely low (ECC < 0.01) across the working bandwidth, which indicates excellent UWB MIMO performance. This paper offers an appropriate design methodology for future flexible and compact UWB MIMO systems that can serve as interference-resilient antennas for next-generation wireless applications. Full article

Impulse ultrawideband (UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) combines high-azimuth-range resolution with robust penetration capabilities, making it ideal for applications such as through-wall detection and subsurface imaging. In such systems, the performance of UWB antennas is critical for transmitting high-power, large-bandwidth impulse signals. However, two primary factors degrade radar imaging quality: (1) inherent limitations in antenna radiation efficiency, which lead to low-frequency signal loss and subsequent time-domain ringing artifacts; (2) impedance mismatch at the antenna terminals, causing standing wave reflections that exacerbate the ringing phenomenon. This study systematically analyzes the mechanisms of ringing generation, including its physical origins and mathematical modeling in SAR systems. Building on this analysis, we propose a Bayesian ringing suppression algorithm based on sparse optimization. The method effectively enhances imaging quality while balancing the trade-off between ringing suppression and image fidelity. Validation through numerical simulations and experimental measurements demonstrates significant suppression of time-domain ringing and improved target clarity. The proposed approach holds critical importance for advancing impulse UWB SAR systems, particularly in scenarios requiring high-resolution imaging. Full article

As 5G technology rapidly advances, the extension of spectrum into millimeter-wave bands enables higher data speeds and reduced latency. However, this frequency expansion introduces significant electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues, particularly in environments with dense equipment and base stations. To tackle these challenges, this paper presents a multilayer transparent ultra-wideband microwave absorber (MA) using indium tin oxide (ITO) that operates between 4 and 26 GHz. This optimized MA design successfully achieves absorption from 4.07 to 25.07 GHz, encompassing both the 5G Sub-6 GHz and n258 bands, with a relative bandwidth of 144% and a minimal thickness of 0.129λ_L (where λ_L is the free-space wavelength at the lowest cutoff frequency). For TE and TM polarization with incidence angles ranging from 0° to 45°, the MA demonstrates exceptional performance, maintaining a relative bandwidth exceeding 120%. Notably, for TM polarization with incidence angles between 60° and 70°, the MA can sustain an absorption capacity with a relative bandwidth greater than 100%. By integrating the principles of impedance matching, surface current theory, and equivalent circuit simulation fitting, the absorption mechanism is further analyzed, thereby confirming the reliability of the design. This design offers exceptional wideband absorption, optical transparency, and wide-angle incidence characteristics, demonstrating great potential for applications in electromagnetic stealth, EMI suppression, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in 5G communications. Full article

To achieve precise detection of target geometric features, Ka/W/sub-terahertz band imaging radar systems with ultra-wide instantaneous bandwidth have been developed. Although dechirp-based receiver architectures allow for low-sampling-rate signal acquisition, they require precise linearity in chirp signals, often necessitating precompensation for nonlinear errors. While most research addresses polynomial-based error correction, periodic errors remain underexplored, despite their potential to obscure weak targets and introduce spurious ones. This paper proposes a novel software-based correction method that integrates neural networks and joint optimization strategies to correct periodic phase errors. The method first employs neural networks for frequency estimation, followed by phase-matching techniques to extract amplitude and phase data. Parameter estimation is refined using the Adaptive Moment Estimation (ADAM) algorithm and Limited-Memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (LBFGS) optimization. Nonlinear errors are corrected via matched Fourier transforms. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed method effectively suppresses spurious targets and enhances the detection of weak targets, demonstrating strong robustness and practical applicability, thereby significantly enhancing the target detection performance of the ultra-wideband radar system. Full article

Optoelectronic oscillators (OEOs) have emerged as indispensable tools for generating low-phase-noise microwave and millimeter-wave signals, which are critical for a variety of high-performance applications. These include radar systems, satellite links, electronic warfare, and advanced instrumentation. The ability of OEOs to produce signals with exceptionally low phase noise makes them ideal for scenarios demanding high signal purity and stability. In radar systems, low-phase-noise signals enhance target detection accuracy and resolution, while, in communication networks, such signals enable higher data throughput and improved signal integrity over extended distances. Furthermore, OEOs play a pivotal role in precision instrumentation, where even minor noise can compromise the performance of sensitive equipment. This review examines the progress in OEO technology, transitioning from classical designs relying on long optical fiber delay lines to modern integrated systems that leverage photonic integration for compact, efficient, and tunable solutions. Key advancements, including classical setups, hybrid designs, and integrated configurations, are discussed, with a focus on their performance improvements in phase noise, side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR), and frequency tunability. A 20-GHz oscillation with an SMSR as high as 70 dB has been achieved using a classical dual-loop configuration. A 9.867-GHz frequency with a phase noise of −142.5 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz offset has also been generated in a parity–time-symmetric OEO. Additionally, integrated OEOs based on silicon photonic microring resonators have achieved an ultra-wideband tunable frequency from 3 GHz to 42.5 GHz, with phase noise as low as −93 dBc/Hz at a 10 kHz offset. The challenges in achieving fully integrated OEOs, particularly concerning the stability and phase noise at higher frequencies, are also explored. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in OEO technology, highlighting future directions and potential applications. Full article

A parallelized field-programmable gate array (FPGA) architecture is proposed to realize an ultra-fast, compact, and low-cost dual-channel ultra-wideband (UWB) pulsed-radar system. This approach resolves the main shortcoming of current FPGA-based radars, namely their low processing throughput, which leads to a significant loss of data provided by the radar receiver. The architecture is integrated with an in-house UWB pulsed radar operating at a sampling rate of 20 gigasamples per second (GSa/s). It is demonstrated that the FPGA data-processing speed matches that of the radar output, thus eliminating data loss. The radar system achieves a remarkable speed of over 9000 waveforms per second on each channel. The proposed architecture is scalable to accommodate higher sampling rates and various waveform periods. It is also multi-functional since the FPGA controls and synchronizes two transmitters and a dual-channel receiver, performs signal reconstruction on both channels simultaneously, and carries out user-defined averaging, trace windowing, and interference suppression for improving the receiver’s signal-to-noise ratio. We also investigate the throughput rate while offloading radar data onto an external device through an Ethernet link. Since the radar data rate significantly exceeds the Ethernet link capacity, we show how the FPGA-based averaging and windowing functions are leveraged to reduce the amount of offloaded data while fully utilizing the radar output. Full article

In this paper, we examine an ultra-compact on-chip balanced filter based on novel hybrid resonators (NHRs) comprising short transmission line sections (STLSs) and series LC blocks using low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology. Based on a rigorous theoretical analysis, the proposed NHR demonstrates the potential for intrinsic ultra-wideband differential-mode (DM) and common-mode (CM) suppression without any additional suppressing structures. Furthermore, the resonance of NHRs was determined by four degrees of freedom, providing flexibility for miniaturization. Theoretical extensions of the Nth-order topology can be easily achieved by the simple coupling schemes that occur exclusively between STLSs. For verification, a balanced filter covering the 5G band n78 with an area of 0.065λ_g × 0.072λ_g was designed using the proposed optimization-based design procedure. An ultra-low insertion loss of 0.8 dB was obtained. The quasi-full CM stopband with a 20 dB rejection level ranged from 0 to 12.9 GHz. And the ultra-wide upper DM stopband with a 20 dB rejection level ranged from 4.4 to 11.5 GHz. Good agreement between the theoretical, simulated, and measured results indicate the validity of the proposed design principle. Full article

Impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar, operating in the low-frequency band, can penetrate walls and utilize its high range resolution to recognize different human activities. Complex deep neural networks have demonstrated significant performance advantages in classifying radar spectrograms of various actions, but at the cost of a substantial computational overhead. In response, this paper proposes a lightweight model named TG2-CAFNet. First, clutter suppression and time–frequency analysis are used to obtain range–time and micro-Doppler feature maps of human activities. Then, leveraging GhostV2 convolution, a lightweight feature extraction module, TG2, suitable for radar spectrograms is constructed. Using a parallel structure, the features of the two spectrograms are extracted separately. Finally, to further explore the correlation between the two spectrograms and enhance the feature representation capabilities, an improved nonlinear fusion method called coordinate attention fusion (CAF) is proposed based on attention feature fusion (AFF). This method extends the adaptive weighting fusion of AFF to a spatial distribution, effectively capturing the subtle spatial relationships between the two radar spectrograms. Experiments showed that the proposed method achieved a high degree of model lightweightness, while also achieving a recognition accuracy of 99.1%. Full article

For ultra-high-speed digital transmission, required by 5G/6G communications, ultra-wideband common-mode rejection (CMR) structures with autonomous phase-balancing capability are proposed. Common-mode noise, caused by phase and amplitude unbalances, is one of the most undesired disturbances affecting modern digital circuits. According to the circuit design guides with a typically used differential line (DL) for high-speed digital transmission, common-mode rejection is achieved using CMR filters, and the unbalanced phase, caused by a length difference between the two signal lines of a DL, is compensated by inserting an additional delay line. However, due to nonlinear phase interactions between the two DLs and unbalanced electromagnetic (EM) interferences, the conventional compensation method is frequency-limited at around 10 GHz. To significantly enhance the common-mode rejection level and extend the phase recovery bandwidth, the proposed CMR structure utilizes a planar balanced line (BL), such as a coplanar stripline (CPS) or a parallel stripline (PSL), along with additional conductor strips arranged laterally near the BL. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed BL-based CMR structures, various types of CMR structures are fabricated, and the measurement results are compared with the 3D EM simulation results. As a result, it is proven that the proposed BL-based CMR structures have the capability to reject the common-mode noise with suppression levels of more than 10 dB and to simultaneously recover the phase balance from near DC to over 40 GHz. Full article