Integration of a Pulse Generator on Chip Into a Compact Ultrawideband Antenna

For impulse radio ultrawideband communications an ldquoantenna plus generatorrdquo system is co-designed and an on chip generator is integrated into the antenna. This approach does away with the need for intermediate transmission lines conventionally placed between an RF device/generator and an antenna and therefore eliminates the need for a balun, prevents excitation of the common-mode currents and allows the device to be mounted directly on the antenna. The antenna and generator are designed taking into account both impedance matching and the generator´s influence on the antenna´s radiation properties. The suggested approach is verified experimentally at a scaled up version of the antenna.