WiMAX/WLAN radio receiver architecture for convergence in WMANS

The trend toward increasing the data rate and providing the customers with wireless broadband access has initiated WIMAX systems. IEEE 802.16e, the mobile version of IEEE 802.16, provides WMAN (wireless metropolitan area network). Such system would need to work in the hostile environment of cellular phones and hence has the tough blocker requirements of GSM while providing the quality of service of WLAN (IEEE 802.11a/g). Combination of these factors imposes stringent requirements on system and block level. Convergence of WiMAX and WLAN facilitates the broadband accessibility by using the already existing wireless networks wherever there is a WLAN hot spot. This paper proposes a fully integrated solution for a multiband WIMAX/WLAN system based on a zero-IF architecture. System requirements are analyzed and block level specifications are derived. Challenges in system and block level are discussed and solutions are offered based on the current sub-micron CMOS technologies.