Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1207833
12 There are any number of strategies that consumers can try to fix interference problems with Wi-Fi in their homes—moving the router, reconnecting the device to their Wi-Fi network, power cycling the modem … and calling their service provider when nothing works and they don't know what else to try. But as an radio frequency (RF) engineer, how can you design a Wi-Fi access point that addresses the biggest interference issues from the outset? This article examines the following factors that can impact Wi-Fi interference: • The need to support multiple wireless standards • Different types of interference • Why band edges matter • The importance of high-performance bandedge and coexistence bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters One Access Point, Many Standards When developing Wi-Fi access points, designers must consider many wireless technology standards: • Standards that operate at short and mid coverage ranges, such as Bluetooth ® , Zigbee ® , and Z-Wave ® • Standards that operate at higher power levels and short and long ranges, including Wi-Fi, 3G/4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), and 5G Many of these standards can interfere with each other, leading to connectivity problems for users. And then there's unlicensed spectrum to contend with. Licensed and unlicensed networks are becoming more important factors as constrained wireless communications offload data to continually expand capacity. Also, the new Internet of Things (IoT) realm draws heavily on this unlicensed spectrum. The challenge is to keep all these licensed and unlicensed bands and multiple protocols working in conjunction with each other without interference difficulties. Not only about the Wi-Fi chip. Now it's also about the "front- ends"—the amplifiers and filters between the Wi-Fi chip and the antenna that make or break the capacity of the distributed Wi-Fi system. Different Types of Interference: From In-Device to LTE and Bluetooth Interference can occur within a device or between devices, including between wireless carrier signals or between wireless standards. The most common interference scenario is Bluetooth and LTE with Wi-Fi because these technologies are so widespread. Let's look at some of these in more detail. Resolving Interference in a Crowded Wi-Fi Environment Using Bulk Acoustic Wave Filters By Wayne Polonio, Qorvo ® Senior Product Marketing Manager