• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.194-204
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• 2006

This contribution focuses on the maximum likelihood (ML) noncoherent synchronization of multi-antenna transceivers working in faded environments and employing ultra-wideband impulse radio (UWB-IR) transmit technology. In particular, the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) is derived for the general case of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) UWB-IR systems and used to compare the ultimate performance of three basic transmit schemes, thereinafter referred to as single input multiple output (SIMO), MIMO equal signaling (MIMO-ES), and MIMO orthogonal signaling (MIMO-OS) ones. Thus, the noncoherent ML synchronizer is developed for the better performing transmit scheme (i.e., the SIMO one) and its performance is evaluated under both signal acquisition and tracking operating conditions. The performance gain in the synchronization of UWB- IR signals arising by the utilization of the multi-antenna technology is also evaluated.