Mixer with improved linear range

• US 6,054,889 A
• Filed: 11/11/1997
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kevin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B.
• Application Number:
  US08/967,412
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 327/116, 327/119-122, 327/356, 327/357, 327/359, 455/333
• US Class Current: 327/357
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0033 Current mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0084 Lowering the supply voltage and saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0088 Reduction of intermodulation, nonlinearities, adjacent channel interference; intercept points of harmonics or intermodulation products
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1408 with diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1425 with transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1433 using bipolar 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 7/1491 Arrangements to linearise a transconductance stage of a mixer arrangement

Abstract

A wide dynamic range bilinear multiplier implemented with an improved Gilbert cell mixer topology linearizies the top quad core of transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 to provide a true bilinear multiplier whose output is linearly related to both inputs over a relatively substantial input power range without the need for an additional diode predistortion circuit or increased voltage. In order to improve the linearity of the upper quad core of transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4, these transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 are implemented as either multi-tanh doublets or multi-tanh triplets. Each multi-tanh doublet includes two pair of common emitter configured transistors Q_xe and Q_xae. The linear input voltage range of the multi-tanh doublets is maximized by proper selection of the emitter areas Q_xae relative to Q_xe, where Ae is an area factor greater than 1. Each of the multi-tanh doublets is connected to the mirror current driver, formed from a pair of common emitter connected transistors, which act as current sinks for each of the multi-tanh doublets. In alternate embodiment of the invention, the upper transistor quad core transistors, Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 are formed from two multi-tanh triplets. An additional transistor is added to each of the multi-tanh doublets to form the multi-tanh triplets. In addition, another transistor is added to each of the mirror current driver circuits for each of the multi-tanh triplets. The use of the multi-tanh doublets and multi-tanh triplets allow the linear range of the upper quad transistor core transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 to extended without the use of additional diode predistortion circuits or other performance penalties.

Claims

1. A mixer for providing an increased linear range the mixer comprising:

multiple input ports;

multiple output ports;

a plurality of multi-tanh triplets; and

a current source driver coupled to each of said multi-tanh triplets.

2. The mixer as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said triplets includes two pairs differentially connected common emitter transistors and an additional common emitter transistor.

3. The mixer as recited in claim 2, further including an additional current source driver connected to said additional common emitter transistor.

4. The mixer as recited in claim 3, wherein said current source drivers are implemented as BJT transistors.

5. The mixer as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said current source drivers includes a pair of differentially connected common emitter transistors having an emitter area e, wherein the emitter area of the additional current source drivers is selected as a multiple K of the emitter area e.

6. The mixer as recited in claim 5, wherein said multiple K is selected to optimize the biasing current for said additional common emitter transistors.

7. The mixer as recited in claim 1, further including an emitter degeneration resistor connected between said current source drivers.

8. A bilinear multiplier comprising:

a pair of input ports;

at least one output port; and

means for providing an output signal at said least one output port which is linearly related to the inputs at said input ports, said providing means including a pair of multi-tanh doublets and a pair of current source drivers and an emitter degeneration resistor connected between said current source drivers.

9. The bilinear multiplier as recited in claim 8 wherein each doublet includes two pair differentially connected common emitter transistors.

10. The bilinear multiplier as recited in claim 9, wherein the transistors have emitter areas e and Ae, where Ae=A times the emitter area e.

11. The bilinear multiplier as recited in claim 10, wherein A is selected to optimize the linear input voltage range of the doublet.

12. The bilinear multiplier as recited in claim 11 wherein A is >

1.

13. The bilinear multiplier as recited in claim 12, wherein A is approximately equal to 3.7.