Multistage frequency-hopping assisted ultra-wideband multiple-access communications

Ultra-wideband (UWB) systems having a bandwidth on the order of a Gigahertz have received wide attention both in the USA and in Europe. A novel UWB multiple access scheme based on the well-known family of frequency-hopping multiple access (FHMA) techniques is proposed, where the associated FH is implemented using multistage frequency hopping multiple access, or MS/UWB FHMA. We highlight the principles of the proposed MS/UWB FHMA communication system, investigate the associated spectrum assignment, the FH strategy, the applicable signal detection schemes as well as the achievable bit error rate (BER) performance. Our study shows that MS/UWB FHMA is capable of supporting an extremely high number of users, while employing relatively simple receivers.