Reed Solomon Code vs. Repetition in WiMedia UWB

WiMedia UWB is an OFDM system that is becoming the de facto standard for high data rate Wireless Personal Area Networks. Low power consumption is essential for the success of this technology. We propose, in this regard, to replace the Reed Solomon code that protects header information by a simpler and often better performing repetition code. The complexity of the repetition scheme is almost negligible and results in savings in power and silicon area. Furthermore, the scheme can be extended to protect payload information. We propose ideas to improve the performance of short payloads and to achieve lower data rates.