RFPRFI

RFPRFI stands for Radio Frequency Phase-Resolved Frequency-Filtered Interference. It is a concept used in RF engineering to describe and quantify how pulsed, phase-coherent RF signals create interference within systems that employ frequency-selective filtering.

Definition and scope: RFPRFI provides a framework for evaluating interference that arises when a signal interacts with a filter or RF front end, taking into account the phase relationships of the pulses and the filtering, rather than only average power.

Principle: The measurement uses a synchronized RF pulse sequence and a reference clock. The device under test is exposed to this signal while a phase-coherent detector records amplitude and phase across a pre-defined frequency grid. The collected data are used to construct a phase-resolved interference map and a normalized RFPRFI index, which compares measured interference to a baseline low-interference condition.

Applications: It is used in EMC testing, filter characterization, RF transceiver design, and radar or communication systems where pulsed operation and sharp filtering coexist.

History: The concept has been discussed in RF engineering literature since the early 2010s as a method to supplement traditional power-based interference metrics.

Limitations: Requires precise phase reference and calibration; sensitive to measurement bandwidth and noise; interpretation depends on filter topology and signal shape.

See also: Radio-frequency interference, electromagnetic compatibility, phase noise, impulse response.

References: See RF engineering and EMC literature for related measurement techniques.