A Channel-Based Statistical Approach to Antenna Performance in UWB Communications

An analysis of the joint antenna-channel problem in ultrawideband communications is carried out in order to provide tools for the performance evaluation of antennas while taking into account the system architecture and the radio link scenarios. Owing to the stochastic character of channels and of antenna close environment, a statistical approach to the problem based on discrete channel models is favored. The distinction between gain and dispersion effects is highlighted, both in a nondirectional and in a fully directional channel model. It is shown that antenna distortion generally has a small effect, but for coherent pulse detection it provides an extra gain in dense multipath channels with respect to ideal antennas and low density channels.