Advanced receiver architectures and I/Q signal processing

Abstract

The evolution of wireless communications receivers from the traditional superheterodyne architecture to more advanced structures with better integrability is largely based on the concept of complex or I/Q signals. In this paper, we discuss the role of I/Q signal processing in different receivers, with emphasis on I/Q imbalance effects. Also the use of adaptive DSP algorithms for I/Q imbalance compensation in different receiver structures is analyzed, and some measurement-based results concerning the performance of these techniques with practical analog front-ends are presented.