Front-end (FE) assemblies once required an area the size of a shoebox and comprised the amplifiers, filters, mixers, and oscillators needed for RF/microwave radios. Newer RF FEs fit smaller spaces with increased functionality and performance, employing integrated circuits (ICs) and multichip modules (MCMs). They serve growing numbers of applications, ranging from automated factories and healthcare to telecommunications networks and vehicular systems.
Led by military and aerospace efforts for achieving electronic products with reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP), RF front-end modules (FEMs) and ICs are helping transfer high-frequency signals from antennas to receivers and transmitters in smaller packages to accommodate increasing numbers of users whether for casual or critical requirements.