43 |
Conclusion
Many RF systems are fully analog,
but many more are in use and
being developed using some
digital electronics in place of RF/
analog components. These newer
hybrid systems are generally much
more compact and, depending
on the depth of digital integration,
can be software programmable.
Software-defined radio (SDR) and
similar software programmability
are incredibly versatile and
allow engineers to repurpose RF
hardware, reprogram it as needed,
or use it in a range of different
products and applications without
redesigning the entire RF system.
Does this mean that RF design
is becoming a matter of simply
connecting an antenna to a digital
front-end and programming the
rest in software? This may be the
case in some present and future
instances where the integration
of high-frequency and high-
performance semiconductors or
processes alongside silicon digital
circuit fabrication occurs. However,
there are still limitations to what can
be accomplished with RF signals
in the digital domain. This is why
most current RF systems are still
hybrid analog-digital systems.
Sources
1
https://gipoc.grc.nasa.gov/pims/
MMAP/PIMS_ORIG/MEIT/MEIT_pdfs/
meit2003/Section_7.pdf
2
https://gipoc.grc.nasa.gov/pims/
MMAP/PIMS_ORIG/MEIT/MEIT_pdfs/
meit2003/Section_7.pdf
3
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/
citations/20150000333/
downloads/20150000333.pdf
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