Design of RF Self-interference Cancellation Circuit for 100-W Full-Duplex Radio at 225–400 MHz

The full-duplex (FD) technology enables future military radios to simultaneously transmit and receive (STAR) on the same and adjacent frequencies. This enhances spectral efficiency and makes simultaneous integrated tactical communications and electronic warfare operations possible as opposed to the current time- or frequency-division radios used in military applications. The main challenge in implementing full-duplex radios is the strong self-interference (SI) between the transmitter and the receiver requiring solutions how to cancel the coupling, which has been largely resolved at higher ultra high frequency (UHF) bands for low power transmission. This paper presents a radio-frequency SI cancellation circuit suitable especially for very high-power military applications at military-relevant lower UHF band (225–400 MHz). The circuit couples power from the transmitter and tunes the phase and amplitude of the signal to destructively combine with the received SI, and thus isolates the receiver and transmitter. The paper introduces a concept consisting of a 90° vector modulator and switchable delay lines for a low-loss and high-power-handling cancellation circuit that enables operation with very-high transmit powers of even up to 1 kW.