Component and System-level Approaches for Analog Interference Mitigation

Tactical Converged RF Systems require efficient and dynamic use of the electromagnetic spectrum for reduced SWaP of RF systems, where self and external interference will limit the performance. Moreover, to achieve multiple concurrent missions from a single aperture, RF front ends and beamforming networks must perform isolation between transmission and reception paths through nonreciprocal, switching, or filtering components. According to the selected circuit topology, it is possible to achieve a certain level of isolation, insertion loss, bandwidth, and power handling, which will dictate the system performance for a specific application. This tutorial explores component and system-level strategies for mitigating analog interference in tactical converged RF systems, specifically focusing on addressing the challenges posed by Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) saturation in broadband systems. Two primary approaches are investigated: propagation and analog domain architectures. The presentation delves into details of the design and implementation of advanced integrated RF front-end components in GaAs and GaN technologies, including tunable active circulators and active tunable notch filters, to enhance interference rejection capabilities. Additionally, the development of self-calibration circuit topologies is examined to improve system performance and reliability.