Design space exploration and hardware aspects of local positioning systems

This paper analyses localization schemes in relation to accuracy, hardware requirements, and medium access. Measurements principles and system topologies are investigated. The front-end design of a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW)-based local positioning is presented. The transceiver operates in the 5.8 GHz ISM band and is able to transmit frequency chirps at 14 dBm output power. The receiver has a sensitivity of -80 dBm, which allows coverage distance up to 200 m. Moreover, an integrated pulsed reflector for an FMCW radar system is presented. The circuits are designed in an 0.25 μm SiGe-BiCMOS technology, and the design achieves a sensitivity of -58 dBm. It consumes 6 mW DC power.