A Review Of Wideband RF Receiver Architecture Options

By Peter Delos, Analog Devices

The heterodyne receiver has been the standard receiver option of choice for decades. In recent years, the rapid advance of analog-to-digital converter (ADC) sampling rates, the inclusion of embedded digital processing, and the integration of matched channels now offers options for the receiver architect that were not practical only a few years ago. This article compares the benefits and challenges of three common receiver architectures: a heterodyne receiver, a direct sampling receiver, and a direct-conversion receiver. Download the full paper to learn more.