An omnidirectional and low-VSWR antenna for the FCC-approved UWB frequency band

Recently, encouraged by deregulation ultra-wideband (UWB) technology has attracted attention for use in communication and sensing applications in the commercial domain. In February 2002 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States conditionally waived unlicensed operation of the personal UWB products in the private sector. In this paper, we constructed a prototype antenna for the FCC approved UWB frequency band (3.1-10.6 GHz). The prototype antenna was successful because it demonstrated omnidirectional radiation and low VSWR (<1.4) between 3 GHz and 20 GHz. This prototype antenna could therefore be used in the next generation of UWB wireless system measurement applications.