This paper presents compact low frequency ultra-wide band (UWB) sensor design and study of the partial discharge diagnosis by sensing electromagnetic pulse emitted from the partial discharge source with the newly designed UWB sensor. In this study, we designed a new type of compact low frequency UWB sensor based on microstrip antenna technology to detect both the low frequency and high frequency band of the partial discharge signal. Experiments of offline PD testing on medium voltage (22.9kV) underground cable mention the comparative results with the traditional HFCT as a reference sensor in the laboratory. In the series of comparative tests, the calibration signal injection test provided with the conventional IEC 60270 method and high voltage injection testing are included.