Tunable RF filters
are commonly used in various lab environments for testing many frequency bands
that include WiFi, UHF, PMR, Tetra, PCS and LTE. Tunable notch filters or
band-rejection filters are an excellent solution for band selection or
frequency discrimination with high attenuation greater than 50 dB. This allows
you to achieve excellent noise, harmonic and adjacent-band reduction.
Tunable filters are useful for other environments as well, such
as medical, military and commercial applications and implementations. This
demand for various applications is driving the growth of tunable filter
markets. However, the growth of tunable filter market growth is still limited
due to factors such as high initial cost and R&D expenses.
Applications of
tunable filters:
Wireless Test
Environments
Tunable filters are commonly used by RF engineers in EMC/
wireless test environments in order to ensure that the systems are operating
efficiently in a crowded RF/microwave spectrum environment. They are extremely
useful for rejecting unwanted interference and pre-tuning desired signals.
Military applications
All key military communications and surveillance platforms
around the world make use of tunable filters. They are useful for performing
high-quality communications based on requirements during harsh environmental
conditions and critical performances. Military applications need communication
and surveillance systems with electromagnetic and environmental capability,
nuclear resistance, and electrical characteristics of digital interfaces
(Brunner, NB Herard, THE TUNABLE FILTER MARKET IS ESTIMATED TO GROW FROM USD
122.0 MILLION IN 2017 TO USD 203.1 MILLION BY 2023, AT A CAGR OF 8.86% BETWEEN
2017 AND 2023, 2018). Due to this military applications held some of the
largest shares of the tunable market in 2016.
Improve laboratory
measurements
A tunable notch filter could be useful in a
demanding environment such as laboratories that need exact and accurate results
and measurements. Tunable notch filter or band reject filters are useful for
providing rejection of high power blockers with large frequency tuning range
(Klumperink, 8-Path Tunable RF Notch Filters for Blocker Suppression, 2012).
Medical environment
In medical environment, tunable notch filter or band reject
filters are useful for operating machines such as the electrocardiogram (ECG)
machines that help conduct hassle-free operations.
Commercial usage
Tunable filters are useful in public address systems or
speakers for ensuring quality audio without interruptions. They are also useful
in telephone technologies for reducing line noise and in internet services for
cancelling out any type of interference as much as possible. There are various
other commercial applications such as radio devices, optical communication
technologies etc.
With the rapid adoption of wireless communication
technologies by various countries including India and China, the growth of the
tunable filter market seems to be pacing at an immense speed by 2023.