The continued frequency spectrum expansion of software defined radio (SDR) applications combined with the need to simultaneously transmit and receive through a common antenna in smaller form-factors, requires the development of dramatically improved tunable band-pass filter technology. These filters must be able to cover the entire frequency band of operation for both current and future SDR applications with minimal insertion loss, handle the transmit output power in a thermally efficient design, and be integrated into a small form-factor drop-in module. To address the problems faced by modern SDR platforms and the short-comings of currently available filtering solutions, Omega Micro Technologies, Inc. (OMT) intends to capitalize upon their expertise in the fields of Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) substrate design and fabrication, vertical integration techniques, and embedded filter design to develop a broadband, low-loss tunable filter module in partnership with Rockwell Collins. The developed broadband tunable low-loss band-pass filter module will be directly applicable to either lower power transmit applications as well as receiver front-end applications.
Benefit: The developed technology will find immediate military opportunities within the JTRS and other current and future SDR programs not only domestically but potentially internationally as well. Furthermore, the developed technology would find vast potential within the commercial radio communications and cellular markets both domestically and abroad where co-site interference is a concern, especially in systems which utilize simultaneous transmit and receive signals. While the initial technology to be developed under the Phase I and Phase II effort will cover the U.S. militarys VHF and UHF bands from 20 MHz to 1 GHz, the system is potentially expandable to 2+ GHz through future technology advancements.
Keywords: Bandpass Filters, Bandpass Filters, SDR, Bandpass, filters, Tunable Bandpass Filter, LTCC, Tunable Filters
