Integrated tunable systems for scalable 4G radios

Tunable elements have been deployed in mobile handsets since 2011 to improve radiated performance, compensate for environmental influences on antenna impedance, shrink antenna volumes and shorten design cycles. The greatest challenge facing the RF front end in modern handsets is the proliferation of frequency bands for LTE systems, not only for global roaming but also for local services. This is driving a rapid expansion in the quantity of filters and related switching which has an impact on overall performance, particularly efficiency and cost. We present details on development toward creating fully tunable front ends that will enable highly efficient scalable and compact radio implementations in future mobile terminals.