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Adaptive RF Front-Ends as a Key Enabler of Modern Communication Systems
Traditional SAW filters and duplexers, limited to fixed frequency characteristics, can only support frequency-division duplexing (FDD). However, emerging communication technologies like in-band full-duplex (IBFD) and subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) demand more versatile radio frequency front-ends (RFFEs). Especially for user equipment (UE), cost-efficient architectures with low power consumption and monolithic integration capabilities are crucial.
Adaptive RF front-ends, featuring tunable filtering technologies and electrical balance duplexer (EBD) architectures, enable high transmit-receive isolation for both FDD and IBFD modes. These tunable front-ends provide a power-efficient alternative to software-defined radios (SDRs), allowing real-time adjustment of uplink and downlink frequencies. Additionally, reconfigurable architectures can adapt to environmental changes, such as antenna impedance variations, while integrating self-interference cancellation techniques. The presentation will explore current applications of EBDs, recent advances in silicon implementations, and developments in tunable filters for cellular and mobile communications.