Novel threshold-based TOA estimation algorithm for IR-UWB systems

Aim at the performance drawbacks of those existent TOA estimation algorithms of IR-UWB systems, a TC (threshold-crossing) algorithm was proposed whose normalized threshold was set based on the MMR (maximum to minimum energy sample ratio) of the energy samples. The relationship between the optimal normalized threshold and MMR was investigated through simulations, from which the mathematical model of MMR based optimal normalized threshold calculation was built. The model is well independent of channel models, which make it widely applicable. Moreover, effects of the length of energy-integration-interval were considered, which enables the model being functional without any modifications when different energy-integration-interval lengths are used. Simulation results show that the proposed MMR-TC algorithm outperforms those existent algorithms at nearly all SNR ranges.