Fundamental Limits of Pulse Based UWB ISAC Systems: A Parameter Estimation Perspective

Abstract

This paper investigates a bi-static integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system for multi-target scenarios using impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) signals, which offer fine temporal resolution, low power consumption, and strong resistance to multipath interference. Two typical modulation schemes, namely pulse position modulation (PPM) and binary phase shift keying (BPSK), are considered for communication over the delay and phase domains, respectively. Accordingly, we introduce a pilot-based decoupling approach that relies on known time-delays, as well as a differential decoupling strategy that uses a known starting symbol position ({no pilot required}). A key contribution of this work is the development of a unified analytical framework based on the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM), which characterizes the fundamental coupling between communication and sensing in both delay and Doppler domains. This coupling is examined through the singularity structure of the FIM, providing new theoretical insights into the joint performance limits of UWB-ISAC systems. Finally, we assess the sensing and communication performance under various modulation schemes under the constraints of current UWB standards. This assessment utilizes the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) for sensing and the data transmission rate for communication, offering theoretical insights into choosing suitable data signal processing methods in real-world applications.