Synchronization for Impulse-Radio UWB With Energy-Detection and Multi-User Interference: Algorithms and Application to IEEE 802.15.4a

Energy-detection (ED) receivers can take advantage of the ranging and multipath resistance capabilities of impulse-radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) physical layers at a much lower complexity than coherent receivers. However, ED receivers are extremely vulnerable to multi-user interference (MUI). Therefore, the design of IR-UWB ED architectures must take MUI into account. In this paper, we present the design and evaluation of two complementary algorithms for reliable and robust synchronization of IR-UWB ED receivers in the presence of MUI: 1) power-independent detection and preamble code interference cancellation (PICNIC) and 2) detection of start-frame-delimiter through sequential ratio tests (DESSERT). PICNIC addresses packet detection and timing acquisition while DESSERT focuses on start-frame-delimiter (SFD) detection. Both algorithms are evaluated with the IEEE 802.15.4a IR-UWB physical layer, standardized for low data-rate networks. The performance evaluation with extensive simulations show that our algorithms outperform nonrobust synchronization algorithms by up to two orders of magnitude in the presence of MUI

Interference management in impulse-radio ultra-wide band networks

We consider networks of impulse-radio ultra-wide band (IR-UWB) devices. We are interested in the architecture, design, and performance evaluation of these networks in a low data-rate, self-organized, and multi-hop setting. IR-UWB is a potential physical layer for sensor networks and emerging pervasive wireless networks. These networks are likely to have no particular infrastructure, might have nodes embedded in everyday life objects and have a size ranging from a few dozen nodes to large-scale networks composed of hundreds of nodes. Their average data-rate is low, on the order of a few megabits per second. IR-UWB physical layers are attractive for these networks because they potentially combine low-power consumption, robustness to multipath fading and to interference, and location/ranging capability. The features of an IR-UWB physical layer greatly differ from the features of the narrow-band physical layers used in existing wireless networks. First, the bandwidth of an IR-UWB physical layer is at least 500 MHz, which is easily two orders of magnitude larger than the bandwidth used by a typical narrow-band physical layer. Second, this large bandwidth implies stringent radio spectrum regulations because UWB systems might occupy a portion of the spectrum that is already in use. Consequently, UWB systems exhibit extremely low power spectral densities. Finally IR-UWB physical layers offer multi-channel capabilities for multiple and concurrent access to the physical layer. Hence, the architecture and design of IR-UWB networks are likely to differ significantly from narrow-band wireless networks. For the network to operate efficiently, it must be designed and implemented to take into account the features of IR-UWB and to take advantage of them. In this thesis, we focus on both the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical layer. Our main objectives are to understand and determine (1) the architecture and design principles of IR-UWB networks, and (2) how to implement them in practical schemes. In the first part of this thesis, we explore the design space of IR-UWB networks and analyze the fundamental design choices. We show that interference from concurrent transmissions should not be prevented as in protocols that use mutual exclusion (for instance, IEEE 802.11). Instead, interference must be managed with rate adaptation, and an interference mitigation scheme should be used at the physical layer. Power control is useless. Based on these findings, we develop a practical PHY-aware MAC protocol that takes into account the specific nature of IR-UWB and that is able to adapt its rate to interference. We evaluate the performance obtained with this design: It clearly outperforms traditional designs that, instead, use mutual exclusion or power control. One crucial aspect of IR-UWB networks is packet detection and timing acquisition. In this context, a network design choice is whether to use a common or private acquisition preamble for timing acquisition. Therefore, we evaluate how this network design issue affects the network throughput. Our analysis shows that a private acquisition preamble yields a tremendous increase in throughput, compared with a common acquisition preamble. In addition, simulations on multi-hop topologies with TCP flows demonstrate that a network using private acquisition preambles has a stable throughput. On the contrary, using a common acquisition preamble exhibits an effect similar to exposed terminal issues in 802.11 networks: the throughput is severely degraded and flow starvation might occur. In the second part of this thesis, we are interested in IEEE 802.15.4a, a standard for low data-rate, low complexity networks that employs an IR-UWB physical layer. Due to its low complexity, energy detection is appealing for the implementation of practical receivers. But it is less robust to multi-user interference (MUI) than a coherent receiver. Hence, we evaluate the performance of an IEEE 802.15.4a physical layer with an energy detection receiver to find out whether a satisfactory performance is still obtained. Our results show that MUI severely degrades the performance in this case. The energy detection receiver significantly diminishes one of the most appealing benefits of UWB, specifically its robustness to MUI and thus the possibility of allowing for parallel transmissions. This performance analysis leads to the development of an IR-UWB receiver architecture, based on energy detection, that is robust to MUI and adapted to the peculiarities of IEEE 802.15.4a. This architecture greatly improves the performance and entails only a moderate increase in complexity. Finally, we present the architecture of an IR-UWB physical layer implementation in ns-2, a well-known network simulator. This architecture is generic and allows for the simulation of several multiple-access physical layers. In addition, it comprises a model of packet detection and timing acquisition. Network simulators also need to have efficient algorithms to accurately compute bit or packet error rates. Hence, we present a fast algorithm to compute the bit error rate of an IR-UWB physical layer in a network setting with MUI. It is based on a novel combination of large deviation theory and importance sampling

Performance Evaluation of an IEEE 802.15.4a Physical Layer with Energy Detection and Multi-User Interference

We evaluate the performance of an IEEE 802.15.4a ultra-wide band (UWB) physical layer, with an energy-detection receiver, in the presence of multi-user interference (MUI). A complete packet based system is considered. We take into account packet detection and timing acquisition, the estimation of the power delay profile of the channel, and the recovery of the encoded payload. Energy detectors are known to have a low implementation complexity and to allow for avoiding the complex channel estimation needed by a Rake receiver. However, our results show that MUI severely degrades the performance of the energy detection receiver, even at low traffic rate. We demonstrate that using an IEEE 802.15.4a compliant energy detection receiver significantly diminishes one of the most appealing benefits of UWB, namely its robustness to MUI and thus the possibility to allow parallel transmissions. We further find that timing acquisition and data decoding both equally suffer from MUI

Concurrent and Parallel Transmissions are Optimal for Low Data-Rate IR- UWB Networks

The Internet of Things, emerging pervasive and sensor networks are low data-rate wireless networks with, a priori, no specific topology and no fixed infrastructure. Their primary requirements are twofold: First, low power consumption and, due to environmental concerns, low emitted power. Second, robustness to poor propagation environments and multi-user interference. Impulse-radio ultra-wide band (IR-UWB) physical layers have the potential to satisfy these requirements. Because the features of IR-UWB physical layers differ from narrow-band physical layers, the design rules of IR-UWB networks are likely to be different than for narrow-band wireless networks. Indeed, to optimally use the resources available, it is crucial for the network layers to take into account and take advantage of the underlying physical layer. Therefore, we are interested in the design of IR-UWB networks in a low data-rate, self-organized, and multi-hop context. We concentrate on the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical layer. In the case of low data-rate IR-UWB networks, the optimal design is to allow for parallel and concurrent transmissions at the MAC layer. Interference is managed with rate adaptation, no power control and an interference mitigation scheme at the physical layer. A protocol that implements the optimal design and allows for parallel transmissions outperforms protocols that use exclusion or power control

Clock-Offset Tracking Software Algorithms For IR-UWB Energy-Detection Receivers

We present a clock-offset tracking algorithm for impulse-radio ultra-wide band (IR-UWB) energy-detection receivers. There is a complexity versus performance trade-off for the design of IR-UWB energy-detection receivers: Extremely low-complexity energy-detection receivers are built with a large, constant integration duration; they are robust to clock drifts but are sensitive to noise enhancement effects and cannot adapt to channel variations. More sophisticated energy-detection receivers use a shorter integration duration and combine several weighted outputs of the energy collector; they are robust to noise enhancement effects, can adapt to channel variations and offer a much better performance than non-adaptive receivers. However, they become sensitive to clock offsets. Hence, there is a need for low-complexity clock-offset tracking solutions to support adaptive energy-detection receivers. Our solution is constructed around the Radon transform, an image processing tool traditionally used to detect line features in images. Our solution is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4a standard, does not increase the hardware complexity of the receiver and reduces the performance loss due to clock offset to less than 0.5 dB

The Cicada Attack: Degradation and Denial of Service in IR Ranging

We demonstrate that an interferer with malicious intentions can significantly degrade the performance of impulse radio (IR) ranging. The cicada attack we have developed can decrease the distance (degradation of service) measured by ranging algorithms designed to cope with weak NLOS conditions; it can also jam communication (denial of service). The attack is easy to mount and can be effective even against receivers designed to cope with benign multi-user interference. We also sketch possible countermeasures

Performance Analysis and Optimization of Tc-DTR IR-UWB Receivers over Multipath Fading Channels with Tone Interference

International audienceIn this paper, we analyze the performance of a particular class of transmitted-reference receivers for impulse radio ultra wideband communication systems, which is called chip-time differential transmitted-reference (Tc-DTR). The analysis aims at investigating the robustness of this receiver to single-tone and multi-tone narrowband interference (NBI) and comparing its performance with other non-coherent receivers that are proposed in the literature. It is shown that the Tc-DTR scheme provides more degrees of freedom for performance optimization and that it is inherently more robust to NBI than other non-coherent receivers. More specifically, it is analytically proved that the performance improvement is due to the chip-time-level differential encoding/decoding of the direct sequence (DS) code and to an adequate design of DS code and average pulse repetition time. The analysis encompasses performance metrics that are useful for both data detection (i.e., average bit error probability) and timing acquisition (i.e., false-alarm probability Pfa and detection probability Pd). Moving from the proposed sem-analytical framework, the optimal code design and system parameters are derived, and it is highlighted that the same optimization criteria can be applied to all the performance metrics considered in this paper. In addition, analytical frameworks and theoretical findings are substantiated through Monte Carlo simulations

Ultra Low Power Communication Protocols for UWB Impulse Radio Wireless Sensor Networks

This thesis evaluates the potential of Ultra Wideband Impulse Radio for wireless sensor network applications. Wireless sensor networks are collections of small electronic devices composed of one or more sensors to acquire information on their environment, an energy source (typically a battery), a microcontroller to control the measurements, process the information and communicate with its peers, and a radio transceiver to enable these communications. They are used to regularly collect information within their deployment area, often for very long periods of time (up to several years). The large number of devices often considered, as well as the long deployment durations, makes any manual intervention complex and costly. Therefore, these networks must self-configure, and automatically adapt to changes in their electromagnetic environment (channel variations, interferers) and network topology modifications: some nodes may run out of energy, or suffer from a hardware failure. Ultra Wideband Impulse Radio is a novel wireless technology that, thanks to its extremely large bandwidth, is more robust to frequency dependent propagation effects. Its impulsional nature makes it robust to multipath fading, as the short duration of the pulses leads most multipath components to arrive isolated. This technology should also enable high precision ranging through time of flight measurements, and operate at ultra low power levels. The main challenge is to design a system that reaches the same or higher degree of energy savings as existing narrowband systems considering all the protocol layers. As these radios are not yet widely available, the first part of this thesis presents Maximum Pulse Amplitude Estimation, a novel approach to symbol-level modeling of UWB-IR systems that enabled us to implement the first network simulator of devices compatible with the UWB physical layer of the IEEE 802.15.4A standard for wireless sensor networks. In the second part of this thesis, WideMac, a novel ultra low power MAC protocol specifically designed for UWB-IR devices is presented. It uses asynchronous duty cycling of the radio transceiver to minimize the power consumption, combined with periodic beacon emissions so that devices can learn each other's wake-up patterns and exchange packets. After an analytical study of the protocol, the network simulation tool presented in the first part of the thesis is used to evaluate the performance of WideMac in a medical body area network application. It is compared to two narrowband and an FM-UWB solutions. The protocol stack parameters are optimized for each solution, and it is observed that WideMac combined to UWB-IR is a credible technology for such applications. Similar simulations, considering this time a static multi-hop network are performed. It is found that WideMac and UWB-IR perform as well as a mature and highly optimized narrowband solution (based on the WiseMAC ULP MAC protocol), despite the lack of clear channel assessment functionality on the UWB radio. The last part of this thesis studies analytically a dual mode MAC protocol named WideMac-High Availability. It combines the Ultra Low PowerWideMac with the higher performance Aloha protocol, so that ultra low power consumption and hence long deployment times can be combined with high performance low latency communications when required by the application. The potential of this scheme is quantified, and it is proposed to adapt it to narrowband radio transceivers by combining WiseMAC and CSMA under the name WiseMAC-HA