Bidirectional filter for half duplex single sideband transceiver and method of operation thereof

For use with a transceiver operable in a half duplex mode and having separate receive and transmit signal paths between a baseband circuit and an antenna thereof, a bidirectional filter, a method of operating the same and a single sideband transceiver incorporating the filter or the method. In one embodiment, the filter includes: (1) an intermediate filter stage and (2) switching circuitry, associated with the intermediate filter stage, that places the intermediate filter stage in only a selected one of the receive and transmit signal paths as a function of an operating mode of the baseband circuit.