Method and circuit for operating a mixer

• US 8,552,906 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Dietmar Kissinger, Erich Kolmhofer, Florian Starzer
• Inventors: Kolmhofer, Erich, Kissinger, Dietmar, Starzer, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US12/722,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20100233981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 342/89, 342/100, 342/13, 342173-175, 455/209, 455/180
• US Class Current: 342/100
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0045 Calibration of demodulators
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/00 Transference of modulation from one carrier to another, e.g. frequency-changing H03D9/00, H03D11/00 take precedence; dielectric amplifiers, magnetic amplifiers, parametric amplifiers used as a frequency-changers H03F

Abstract

A mixer for mixing a received signal and a local oscillator signal is provided. The local oscillator signal is modulated by means of a modulation signal and the modulated local oscillator signal is injected into the received signal.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mixer configured to mix a local oscillator signal and a received signal, wherein the mixer is tested by modulating the local oscillator signal by means of a modulation signal and injecting the modulated local oscillator signal into the path of the received signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modulation signal is obtained from the local oscillator signal by frequency division.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the modulation signal is independent of the local oscillator signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modulated local oscillator signal is injected into the path of the received signal by means of a directional coupler.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the path of the received signal is isolated from an antenna for receiving the received signal in order to test the mixer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the path of the received signal remains coupled to an antenna for receiving the received signal while the mixer is tested.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received signal is the output signal from a receiver for radar signals.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local oscillator signal is amplitude-modulated by means of a modulation signal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local oscillator signal is used for mixing with the received signal.

10. A circuit arrangement having:

a mixer configured to mix a received signal and a local oscillator signal,

a modulator with a signal input for receiving the local oscillator signal, a modulation input for receiving a modulation signal and an output, and

a coupler which is coupled to a path for the received signal and to the output of the modulator such that a signal at the output of the modulator can be injected into the path for the received signal.

11. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that

the mixer, the modulator and the coupler are integrated together in a housing.

12. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that

the mixer, the modulator and the coupler are integrated in a semiconductor body.

13. The circuit arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that

the mixer, the modulator and the coupler are integrated in the semiconductor body in CMOS technology.

14. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the circuit arrangement has a local oscillator for producing the local oscillator signal.

15. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the coupler is a directional coupler.

16. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the coupler is configured to continually injecting the output signal from the modulator into the path for the received signal.

17. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the output of the modulator is disconnectable.

18. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the path for the received signal is coupled to a radar receiver.

19. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the circuit arrangement is part of a radar receiver.

20. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the circuit arrangement is configured to process a received signal at a frequency of above 20 GHz.

21. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the circuit arrangement has a frequency divider which has an input for receiving the local oscillator signal and an output which is coupled to the modulation input of the modulator.

22. The circuit arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the frequency divider is switchable.

23. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the circuit arrangement is configured that it can be operated in a test mode and a reception mode, wherein the signal path for the local oscillator signal and the signal path for the received signal have the same course in test mode and in reception mode.

24. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the mixer includes a signal input for receiving the local oscillator signal, and the signal input of the modulator is coupled to the signal input of the mixer.

25. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the signal injected into the path for the received signal is used to test the mixer.