volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

This paper presents comparison of two measurement techniques for ultra wideband (UWB) off-body radio channel characterization. A measurement campaign was performed in indoor environment using UWB wireless active tags and reader installed with the tag antenna and same set of measurement was repeated in the frequency domain using Vector Network Analyser (VNA) and cable connecting two standalone tag antennas for comparison/with a view to finding out the cable effects. Nine different off-body radio channels were experimentally investigated. Comparison of path loss parameters and path loss model for nine different off-body radio channels for the propagation in indoor environment both measurement cases are shown and analyzed. Results show that measurement taken by VNA connecting two standalone antennas through cables experiences lower path loss value for all nine different off-body channels. Least square fit technique is obtained to extract the path loss exponent. Increase of 12.96% path loss exponent is noticed when measurements are made using UWB tags and reader, i.e., without cable measurement scenario.

1. Hall, P. S. and Y. Hao, Antennas and propagation for Body-Centric Wireless Communications, 2nd Ed., Artech House, 2012.

2. Foerester, J., E. Green, S. Somayazulu, and D. Leeper, "Ultra-wideband for short- or medium-range wireless communications," Intel Technology Journal, Q2, 2001.

3. Gassemzadeh, S. S., R. Jana, C. W. Rice, W. Turin, and V. Tarohk, "A statistical path loss model for in-home UWB channels," IEEE Conf. Ultrawide Band Systems and Technologies, 5964, Baltimore, 2002.

4. Goulianos, A. A., T. W. Brown, and S. Stavrou, "Ultra-wideband measurement and results for sparse off-body communication channels," Antennas and Propagation Conference, Loughborough,UK, Mar. 17-18, 2008 .

5. Sani, A., A. Alomainy, and Y. Hao, "Effect of the indoor environment on the UWB on-body radio propagation channel," 3rd European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP, 455-458, Mar. 23-27, 2009.

6. Alomainy, A. A., Y. Hao, C. G. Parini, and P. S. Hall, "Comparison between two different antennas for UWB on body propagation measurements," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 4, No. 1, 31-34, 2005.
doi:10.1109/LAWP.2005.844143

7. Fort, A., C. Desset, J. Ryckaert, P. D. Donker, L. V. Biesen, and P. Wambackq, "Characterization of ultra wideband body area propagation channel," International Conference on Ultra-wideband, Sep. 2005.

8. Wang, Q. and J. Wang, "Performances of on-body chest-to-waist UWB communication link," IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, Vol. 19, No. 2, Feb. 2009.

9. Zasowski, T., F. Althaus, M. Stager, A. Wittneben, and G. Troster, "UWB for noninvasive wireless body area networks: Channel measurements and results," IEEE Conference on Ultra Wideband Systems and Technologies, Nov. 2003.

10. Alomainy, A., Y. Hao, X. Hu, C. G. Parini, and P. S. Hall, "UWB on-body radio propagation and system modeling for wireless body-centric networks," IEE Proceedings Communications --- Special Issue on Ultra Wideband Systems, Technologies and Applications, Vol. 153, No. 1, 107-114, Feb. 2006.

11. Abbasi, Q. H., A. Sani, A. Alomainy, and Y. Hao, "On-body radio channel characterisation and system-level modelling for multiband OFDM ultra wideband body-centric wireless network," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 58, No. 12, 3485-3492, Dec. 2010.

12. Hao, Y., A. Alomainy, Y. Zhao, and C. Parini, "UWB channel characterization and modeling for body-centric and personal area networks," The Institute of Engineering and Technology Seminar on Ultra Wideband System Technology and Applications, 160-164, Apr. 20-20, 2006.

13. Abbasi, Q. H., M. M. Khan, S. Liaqat, M. Kamran, A. Alomainy, and Y. Hao, "Experimental investigation of ultra wideband diversity techniques for on-body radio communications," Progress In Electromagnetics Research C, Vol. 34, 165-181, 2013.

14. Abbasi, Q. H. and et al, "Radio channel characterization and OFDM-based ultra wideband system modelling for body-centric wireless networks," Proc. of 2011 International Conference on Body Sensor Networks, 89-94, Jul. 2011.

15. Abbasi, Q. H., et al. "Experimental characterization and statistical analysis of the pseudo-dynamic ultra wideband on-body radio channel," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 10, 748-751, Jul. 2011.

16. Alomainy, A., A. Sani, A. Rahman, J. G. Santas, and Y. Hao, "Transient characteristics of wearable antennas and radio propagation channels for ultra-wideband body centric wireless communications," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagations, Vol. 57, No. 4, Apr. 2009.

17. Plus Asset Tag, Reader and SFF Antenna Datasheet/Time Domain, 2009, [Online]. Available: http://www.timedomain.com/.

Dr. Mohammad Khan

Dr. Qammer Hussain Abbasi

Dr. Sidrah Liaqat

Prof. Akram Alomainy