Analog Filter Bank for Cochlear Radio

In this paper, we propose a design for the analog part of an Hybrid Filter Bank (HFB) system targeted to radio-frequency (RF) signals, inspired on the mammals cochlea, with the basilar membrane mimicked by microstrip lines. A prototype is presented, operating from 840 MHz to 1470 MHz using ADCs working at 210 Msps. Simulation results revealed that it is possible to design a HFB with low values of distortion and aliasing. With this cochlear analog front-end it is possible to increase the bandwidth of the signal while keeping a high dynamic range. Further developments of this technology could fulfill the promise of Software-defined Radio to build a radio able to deal with wideband signals.