TOA Estimation with DLC Receivers for IEEE 802.15.4a UWB Systems

In many circumstances, it is necessary for a node in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to be aware of its location in the physical world. For example, tracking or event-detection functions are not useful if the WSN cannot provide any information where the event has happened. Some location procedures have been proposed in the IEEE 802.15.4a standard, including the time of arrival (TOA) estimation, the location estimation, and network location algorithms. In this paper, we discuss an effective TOA estimation scheme with the DLC receiver, which employs impulse radio UWB signals compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4a standard. By modifying the synchronization algorithm with the DLC receiver, the TOA can be obtained straightly.