RF Moblile Communication Circuits - Comparison of Technologies

This paper will outline the technological challenges faced in mobile telephones, specifically related to RF signal processing. Transceiver architectures are mostly based on the traditional superheterodyne architecture. The architecture involves a variety of components, such as IC’s, filters, oscillators, resonators and other key components. The level of integration is typically low, and the mix of different technologies is wide. In the future new transceiver architectures are needed, which support multimode operation and next generation wireless systems, are software configurable and can benefit from the advancements in CMOS technology.