High conversion gain CMOS mixer

• US 5,768,700 A
• Filed: 03/14/1996
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsemi Semiconductor (U.S.) Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Kardontchik, Jaime E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/615,734
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 455/333, 455/326, 455/293, 455/341, 327/356-359, 330/311, 330/254
• US Class Current: 455/333
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0025 Gain control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0033 Current mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0043 Bias and operating point
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0084 Lowering the supply voltage and saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1441 using field-effect transistors H03D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1458 Double balanced arrangements, i.e. where both input signals are differential
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1483 comprising components for selecting a particular frequency component of the output

Abstract

A mixer contains a multiplier circuit that includes MOS transistors configured as a Gilbert multiplier cell without gain resistors such that a first and a second node are directly coupled to a folded cascode output stage. The mixer receives a differential radio frequency (RF) signal and a differential local oscillator (LO) signal, and it generates, at the first and second nodes, a differential intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The mixer further includes output and gain/filter stages coupled to the multiplier circuit. The output stage exhibits a low input impedance and a high output impedance, and it generates an output stage differential current approximately equal to the differential current of the IF differential signal. The gain/filter stage both controls conversion gain of the mixer, and it filters the high frequency components generated by said multiplier circuit. A capacitor, implemented as the gain/filter stage, and a folded-cascode circuit for the output stage are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mixer comprising:

a multiplier circuit comprising a plurality of transistors configured to receive a differential radio frequency (RF) signal and a differential local oscillator (LO) signal and to generate a differential intermediate frequency (IF) signal in accordance with mixing said RF signal and said LO signal;

an output stage circuit coupled to receive a differential current of said differential IF signal, said output stage comprising a low input impedance and a high output impedance for generating an output stage differential current approximately equal to said differential current from said IF differential signal; and

a gain stage coupled to said output stage for controlling conversion gain of said differential IF signal.

2. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mixer comprises a downconverter mixer and said gain stage further comprises a filter for filtering high frequency components generated by said multiplier circuit.

3. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said output stage circuit comprises a folded-cascode circuit.

4. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 3, wherein said folded-cascode circuit further comprises an active feedback circuit.

5. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a common mode voltage circuit, coupled to said folded-cascode circuit, for controlling said folded-cascode circuit for common mode voltage at said differential IF signal.

6. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gain stage comprises a capacitor.

7. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transistors comprise metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors including a drain, a source and a gate, wherein:

a first transistor and a second transistor are coupled, at each drain, to a first node and a second node, respectively, and said first and said second transistors receive, at each gate, a positive leg of said RF differential signal;

a third transistor and a fourth transistor are coupled, at each drain, to said second node and said first node, respectively, and said third and said fourth transistors receive, at each gate, a negative leg of said RF differential signal, said first and third transistors being coupled at the sources, and said second and fourth transistors being coupled at each source;

a fifth transistor and sixth transistor, a drain of said fifth transistor being coupled to said sources of said first and third transistors and a drain of said sixth transistor being coupled to said sources of said second and fourth transistors, said fifth transistor receiving, at its gate, a positive leg of said LO differential signal, and said sixth transistor receiving, at its gate, a negative leg of said LO differential signal, and said fifth and sixth transistors being coupled at each source;

a current source coupled at said sources of said fifth and sixth transistors and coupled to ground.

8. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a stage circuit to increase output swing of said output voltage.

9. A mixer comprising:

a multiplier circuit comprising;

a first set of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors coupled to receive, at their gates, a radio frequency (RF) differential voltage signal and coupled, at their drains, to a first and second node;

a second set of (MOS) transistors coupled to said first set of transistors and coupled to receive a local oscillator (LO) differential voltage, and to generate a differential intermediate frequency (IF) signal, including a differential current, in accordance with mixing said RF signal and said LO signal;

a constant current source coupled to said second set of transistors and ground;

an output folded-cascode stage coupled directly to said first and second nodes to receive said differential IF signal, said output stage comprising a low input impedance and a high output impedance, and said output stage for generating an output stage differential current approximately equal to said differential current from said IF differential signal; and

a gain stage coupled to said output stage for controlling conversion gain of said output stage differential current.

10. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 9, wherein said mixer comprises a downconverter mixer and said gain stage further comprises a filtering characteristic for filtering high frequency components generated by said multiplier circuit.

11. The mixer circuit as se t forth in claim 9, wherein said folded-cascode circuit further comprises an active feedback circuit.

12. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a common mode voltage circuit, coupled to said folded-cascode circuit, for controlling said folded-cascode circuit for common mode voltage at said differential current output.

13. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 9, wherein said gain stage comprises a capacitor.

14. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an additional stage circuit to increase output swing of said output voltage.

15. The mixer circuit as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

said first set of MOS transistors comprise first, second, third, and fourth transistors, said first transistor and said second transistor are coupled, at each drain, to said first node and said second node, respectively, and said first and said second transistors receive, at each gate, a positive leg of said RF differential signal, said third transistor and said fourth transistor are coupled, at each drain, to said second node and said first node, respectively, and said third and said fourth transistors receive, at each gate, a negative leg of said RF differential signal, said first and third transistors being coupled at the sources, and said second and fourth transistors being coupled at each source;

said second set of transistors comprise a fifth transistor and sixth transistor, a drain of said fifth transistor being coupled to said sources of said first and third transistors and a drain of said sixth transistor being coupled to said sources of said second and fourth transistors, said fifth transistor receiving, at its gate, a positive leg of said LO differential signal, and said sixth transistor receiving, at its gate, a negative leg of said LO differential signal, and said fifth and sixth transistors being coupled at each source.

16. A downconverter mixer comprising:

a multiplier circuit comprising a plurality of transistors configured to receive a differential radio frequency (RF) signal and a differential local oscillator (LO) signal and to generate, at a first and second node, a differential intermediate frequency (IF) signal in accordance with mixing said RF signal and said LO signal, said transistors comprising;

a first transistor and a second transistor coupled, at each drain, to said first node and said second node, respectively, and said first and said second transistors receive, at each gate, a positive leg of said radio frequency (RF) differential signal;

a third transistor and a fourth transistor coupled, at each drain, to said second node and said first node, respectively, and said third and said fourth transistors receive, at each gate, a negative leg of said RF differential signal, said first and third transistors being coupled at the sources, and said second and fourth transistors being coupled at each source;

a fifth transistor and sixth transistor, a drain of said fifth transistor being coupled to said sources of said first and third transistors and a drain of said sixth transistor being coupled to said sources of said second and fourth transistors, said fifth transistor receiving, at its gate, a positive leg of said LO differential signal, and said sixth transistor receiving, at its gate, a negative leg of said LO differential signal, and said fifth and sixth transistors being coupled at each source;

a current source coupled at said sources of said fifth and sixth transistors and coupled to ground;

a folded-cascode output stage coupled to said first and second nodes to receive said differential IF signal, said output stage comprising a low input impedance and a high output impedance, and said output stage generating an output stage differential current approximately equal to said differential current from said IF differential signal; and

a capacitor coupled across said output stage for controlling conversion gain of said differential IF signal and for filtering high frequency components generated by said multiplier circuit.

17. The downconverter mixer circuit as set forth in claim 16, wherein said folded-cascode circuit further comprises an active feedback circuit.

18. The downconverter mixer circuit as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a common mode voltage circuit, coupled to said folded-cascode circuit, for controlling said folded-cascode circuit for common mode voltage at said IF differential output.

19. The downconverter mixer circuit as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a circuit to increase output swing of said output.