Radio frequency mixer circuits
First Claim
1. A mixer comprising:
- a diode pair comprised of first and second diodes with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode and a cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode;
a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to the first electrode of said diode pair;
first means, coupled to said first RF propagation network, for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance signal path to signals propagating at a first radio frequency (RF) frequency;
a first transmission line resonator coupled to said first RF propagation network and having an electrical path length which is one quarter of a wavelength at a second RF frequency;
a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of said mixer and a second end of said RF propagation network coupled to the second electrode of said diode pair;
a second transmission line resonator coupled to said second RF propagation network and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at said first RF frequency; and
second means, having a first end coupled to said second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and said third terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at a third RF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said second means to signals propagating along said second RF propagation network at said second RF frequency.
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Abstract
A mixer having a diode pair which includes a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to a first electrode of the diode pair. The mixer further includes a first means, coupled to the first RF propagation network for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance signal path to signals propagating at a first radio frequency (RF) frequency. A first transmission line resonator is coupled to the first RF propagation network and has an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at a second RF frequency. The mixer further includes a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of the mixer and a second end of the RF propagation network coupled to a second electrode of the diode pair. A second transmission line resonator is coupled to the second RF propagation network and has an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at the first RF frequency. The mixer further includes a second means, having a first end coupled to the second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and the third terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at a third RF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said second means to signals propagating along the second RF propagation network at the second RF frequency.
28 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A mixer comprising:
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a diode pair comprised of first and second diodes with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode and a cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode; a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to the first electrode of said diode pair; first means, coupled to said first RF propagation network, for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance signal path to signals propagating at a first radio frequency (RF) frequency; a first transmission line resonator coupled to said first RF propagation network and having an electrical path length which is one quarter of a wavelength at a second RF frequency; a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of said mixer and a second end of said RF propagation network coupled to the second electrode of said diode pair; a second transmission line resonator coupled to said second RF propagation network and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at said first RF frequency; and second means, having a first end coupled to said second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and said third terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at a third RF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said second means to signals propagating along said second RF propagation network at said second RF frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A mixer comprising:
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a diode pair comprised of first and second diodes with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode and a cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode; a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to a first electrode of said diode pair; first means, coupled to said first RF propagation network at a first electrical pathlength from said first electrode of said diode pair to provide a high impedance to signals propagating along said first RF propagation network at an IF frequency; second means, coupled to said first RF propagation network, for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance signal path to signals propagating at an RF frequency; a first transmission line resonator, coupled to said first RF propagation network and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at an LO frequency; a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of said mixer and a second end of said RF propagation network coupled to a second electrode of said diode pair; a second transmission line resonator coupled to said second RF propagation network and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at said RF frequency; third means, having a first end coupled to said second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and said mixer terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at said IF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said third means to signals propagating along said second RF propagation network at said LO frequency; fourth means, coupled to said second RF propagation network at a first electrical pathlength from said first end of said third means, for providing a high impedance to a signal propagating at said IF frequency from said first end of said second RF propagation network. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A mixer comprising:
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a diode pair comprised of first and second diodes with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode and a cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode; a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to the first electrode of said diode pair; a first transmission line resonator coupled to said first RF propagation network at a first electrical pathlength corresponding to one quarter of a wavelength at an IF frequency from said first electrode of said diode pair and said first transmission line resonator having an electrical pathlength corresponding to one quarter of a wavelength at said IF frequency; first means, having a first end coupled to said first RF propagation network and a second end coupled to ground, for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said first means to signals propagating at an RF frequency; a second transmission line resonator coupled to said first RF propagation network and having an electrical pathlength corresponding to one quarter of a wavelength at an LO frequency; a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of said mixer and a second end of said RF propagation network coupled to the second electrode of said diode pair; a third transmission line resonator having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at said RF frequency and coupled to said second RF propagation network; second means, having a first end coupled to said second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third mixer terminal, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and said third mixer terminal to signals propagating at said IF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said second means to signals propagating along said second RF propagation network at said LO frequency; a fourth transmission line resonator coupled to said second RF propagation network at a first electrical pathlength corresponding to one quarter of a wavelength at said IF frequency from said first end of said second means and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at said IF frequency.
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12. A mixer comprising:
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a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, said first surface having a ground plane conductor disposed thereon, and having disposed on said second surface; a diode pair comprised of first and second diodes with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode and a cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode; a first strip conductor having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to the first terminal of said diode pair and including a coupled line filter comprised of a plurality of strip conductors having a width, length and spacing selected to provide a predetermined frequency characteristic and further including a matching network comprised of a strip conductor having a width and length selected to provide a predetermined impedance characteristic and further including a matching network comprised of a strip conductor having a width and length selected to provide a predetermined impedance characteristic; a second strip conductor coupled to said first strip conductor and having a first relatively high impedance portion compared to that of the first strip conductor and having a second relatively low impedance portion compared to that of the first strip conductor, for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance path to signals propagating at an RF frequency; a first transmission line resonator comprised of a strip conductor having a tapered portion coupled to said first strip conductor and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at an LO frequency comprised of a strip conductor having a tapered portion to comprise said first end of said first transmission line resonator; a third strip conductor having a first end coupled to the second electrode of said diode pair and a second end coupled to a second terminal of the mixer and including a matching network comprised of a strip conductor having a width and length selected to provide a predetermined impedance characteristic; a second transmission line resonator having a first end coupled to said third strip conductor and having an electrical pathlength which is one quarter of a wavelength at said RF frequency and said second transmission line resonator comprised of a strip conductor having a tapered portion to comprise said first end of said second transmission line resonator; a fourth strip conductor having a first end coupled to said third strip conductor and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said third strip conductor and said third terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at said IF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said fourth strip conductor to signals propagating along said third strip conductor at said LO frequency; a third transmission line resonator having a first end coupled to said third strip conductor and having an electrical path length which is one quarter of a wavelength at said IF frequency and said third transmission line resonator comprised of a strip conductor having a tapered portion to comprise said first end of said transmission line resonator and having a second relatively low impedance portion compared to that of the third strip conductor and having a third portion having an impedance characteristic greater than that of the second portion. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A mixer comprising:
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a diode pair including first and second diodes with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode of the diode pair and a cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode of the diode pair; a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to the first electrode of said diode pair; first means, coupled to said first RF propagation network, for providing a low impedance DC signal path to ground and for providing a high impedance signal path to signals propagating at a first radio frequency (RF) frequency; a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of said mixer and a second end of said RF propagation network coupled to the second electrode of said diode pair; and second means, having a first end coupled to said second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer, for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and said third terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at a second RF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said second means to signals propagating along said second RF propagation network at a third RF frequency. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A mixer comprising:
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a diode pair including of first and second diodes, with an anode of the first diode connected to a cathode of the second diode to provide a first electrode of the diode pair and the cathode of the first diode coupled to the anode of the second diode to provide a second electrode of the diode pair; a first RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a first terminal of the mixer and a second end; a filter circuit having a first end coupled to the second end of said first propagation network and a second end coupled to the first electrode of said diode pair said filter circuit having a relatively low insertion loss characteristic to signals at a first RF frequency; a second RF propagation network having a first end coupled to a second terminal of the mixer and a second end coupled to the second electrode of said diode pair; and first means having a first end coupled to said second RF propagation network and a second end coupled to a third terminal of the mixer for providing a matched impedance signal path between said second RF propagation network and said third terminal of the mixer to signals propagating at a second RF frequency and for providing a high impedance at said first end of said second means to signals propagating along said second RF propagation network at a third RF frequency. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification