Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) Transceiver: Hardware Architectures, Enabling Technologies, and Emerging Trends

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC)—also known as Joint Radar-Communication (RadCom), Joint Radar-Communication (JRC) and other related variants—has rapidly emerged as a transformative paradigm for future wireless systems. By unifying sensing and communication functions within a shared transceiver framework, ISAC addresses the growing demands for spectral efficiency, multifunctional interplay, situational awareness, and hardware reuse. This convergence is poised to enable emerging and future wireless intelligence-driven applications ranging from intelligent transportation and autonomous factories to beyond-5G and 6G smart self-adaptive networks. This article presents a comprehensive, hardware-centric review of ISAC transceiver technologies. We trace the historical evolution of ISAC systems, survey current transceiver architectures, and analyze key enabling components across diverse frequency bands and application scenarios. Specific focus is given to transceiver design strategies, RF front-end architectures, antenna arrays, and integration techniques. Emerging technologies—such as multi-functional arrays, photonic integration, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces—are also examined for their role in enhancing ISAC performance and scalability. By synthesizing the current state-of-the-art and highlighting open challenges, this review aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and engineers working toward the development of next-generation ISAC hardware platforms.