Reconfigurable RF systems
ECE Assistant Professor Matteo Rinaldi received a $524K DARPA grant to develop high level intrinsically switchable and programmable MEMS filter arrays. This proposal seeks the development of an intrinsically switchable and frequency programmable piezoelectric Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) resonator technology platform capable of delivering field programmable filtering in an extremely miniaturized form factor (< 2×2 mm^2) over a broad frequency spectrum (10s MHz – 10s GHz).
The proposed technology will achieve the highest level of filter programmability with the minimum possible effect on the filter performance (by minimizing the number of physically separated Radio Frequency (RF) components), enabling new radio architectures with enhanced spectrum coverage, whose implementation is currently prevented by the lack of such high performance and intrinsically reconfigurable components. The proposed technology will address the steadily growing need for highly reconfigurable Radio Frequency (RF) systems capable of operating in the severely crowded and rapidly changing modern spectral environment at a reduced overall component count and with a reduced development cost compared to conventional multi-band radios.