Medium term evolution for reconfigurable rf transceivers

This paper presents approaches to reconfigurable RF transceivers that are pursued in the EU IST project e2R. This work can be divided into two parts. On the one hand, specific work on the architecture and building blocks for highly reconfigurable RF transceivers. On the other hand, the concrete design and implementation of a prototype RF transceiver. Concerning the first part, the work is focused on an advancement of the well-known direct conversion receiver and transmitter. In the proposed solution, digital signal processing functions are incorporated directly into the RF ICs to increase its flexibility. A key enabler for this architecture change is the step towards CMOS technologies for RF ICs. Concerning the prototyping activity, the key features of the targeted prototype are presented.