Fischer G (2003)
Publication Type: Conference contribution
Publication year: 2003
Conference Proceedings Title: MEMS-Seminar im DFG-Graduiertenkolleg "Mischfelder und nichtlineare Wechselwirkungen"
Event location: Karlsruhe, Germany
As with communication systems spectrum is the most scare resource, there is great demand for flexible radios that can adapt to different frequency bands of operation to accommodate regulatory changes or facilitate new methods for spectrum pooling. The classical answer to this demand has been the software radio approach based on wideband sampling techniques. In the talk an alternative solution to provide flexibility with respect to frequency band of operation and channel bandwidth is given that is based on RF-MEMS. For this approach a new terminology is settling in literature which is the "frequency agile radio" or more precisely the "frequency agile frontend". It shows up that RF-MEMS is a very attractive technology to provide the requested flexibility through reconfiguring the properties of the RF chain. A comparison between the classical approach of providing flexibility solely through alterations in the digital domain after wideband sampling versus the new approach of altering the characteristics of the RF chain prior to narrowband sampling is provided. The pros and cons will be listed and weighted. Some examples for the use of RF-MEMS for flexibility in the analog RF domain will be given: - Reconfigurable basestations - Wireless microphone systems - Terminals (mobile phones/data cards), interfacing between power amplifier and integrated antenna - Adaptive matching with reconfigurable Multiband Power amplifiers The talk will highlight that tuning elements offered through RF-MEMS devices like Switches, Varactors (variable C) and Variometers (variable L) will allow for new radio architectures that allow for great flexibility at low cost. Packaging and integration issues will also be addressed from the system perspective.
APA:
Fischer, G. (2003). RF MEMS Applications for Wireless Communication Systems. In MEMS-Seminar im DFG-Graduiertenkolleg "Mischfelder und nichtlineare Wechselwirkungen". Karlsruhe, Germany.
MLA:
Fischer, Georg. "RF MEMS Applications for Wireless Communication Systems." Proceedings of the MEMS-Seminar im DFG-Graduiertenkolleg "Mischfelder und nichtlineare Wechselwirkungen", Karlsruhe, Germany 2003.
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