Sub-harmonic mixer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9478204-B2
Application number	US-201214425921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2012
Priority date	Sep 4, 2012
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A sub-harmonic mixer comprising first and second input ports, and an output port, and arranged to output products of signals applied at the input ports. The sub-harmonic mixer comprises a first stage a second stage arranged in series with each other, with the input ports of the sub-harmonic mixer being input ports of the first stage, and the output port of the sub-harmonic mixer being an output port of the second stage. An output port of the first stage is connected to an input port of the second stage. The first stage is arranged to generate a fundamental product and a first third order intermodulation distortion product in-phase with each other. The second stage is arranged to generate a second third order intermodulation distortion product in anti-phase to the fundamental product generated by the second stage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sub-harmonic mixer, the sub-harmonic mixer comprising:
a first and a second input port;
an output port, wherein the sub-harmonic mixer is arranged to output at the output port products of signals applied at the first and second input ports; and
a first stage including a mixer and a second stage including an amplifier, said stages being arranged in series with each other, so that an output port of the first stage is connected to an input port of the second stage, with the first and second input ports of the sub-harmonic mixer being input ports of the first stage, and the output port of the sub-harmonic mixer being an output port of the second stage, wherein the first stage is arranged to generate a fundamental product and a first third order intermodulation distortion product that are in-phase with each other, and the second stage is arranged to generate a second third order intermodulation distortion product that is in anti-phase to the fundamental product generated by the first stage.

2. The sub-harmonic mixer of claim 1 , in which the mixer further comprises a power combiner with two input ports that are arranged to be used as the two input ports of the mixer and with an output port that is connected to the base of a bipolar junction transistor as well as to the cathode of a diode, with the anode of the diode and the emitter of the transistor being grounded, and the collector of the transistor being arranged to be used as the output port of the mixer.

3. A sub-harmonic mixer of claim 2 , in which the bipolar junction transistor is replaced by a Field Effect Transistor, with the ports of the bipolar junction transistor being substituted by ports of the Field Effect Transistors as follows:

Bipolar junction transistor, port
FET, port

Collector
Drain

Emitter
Source

Base
Gate

4. The sub-harmonic mixer of claim 2 , wherein the amplifier includes a bipolar junction transistor, with the base arranged to be used as the input port and the collector being arranged to be used as the output port of the amplifier and of the entire sub-harmonic mixer, with the emitter being arranged to be connected to a DC bias voltage.

5. The sub-harmonic mixer of claim 2 , additionally comprising a capacitor between the output port of the first stage and the input port of the second stage.

6. The sub-harmonic mixer of claim 1 , in which the amplifier comprises a bipolar junction transistor, with the base arranged to be used as the input port and the collector being arranged to be used as the output port of the amplifier and of the entire sub-harmonic mixer, with the emitter being arranged to be connected to a DC bias voltage.

7. The sub-harmonic mixer of claim 6 , additionally comprising a capacitor between the output port of the first stage and the input port of the second stage.

8. The sub-harmonic mixer of claim 1 , additionally comprising a capacitor between the output port of the first stage and the input port of the second stage.

9. A sub-harmonic mixer device comprising:
a first and a second sub-harmonic mixer, wherein each sub-harmonic mixer includes:
a first and a second input port,
an output port, wherein the sub-harmonic mixer is arranged to output at the output port products of signals applied at the first and second input ports, and
a first stage including a mixer and a second stage including an amplifier, said stages being arranged in series with each other, so that an output port of the first stage is connected to an input port of the second stage, with the first and second input ports of the sub-harmonic mixer being input ports of the first stage, and the output port of the sub-harmonic mixer being an output port of the second stage, wherein the first stage is arranged to generate a fundamental product and a first third order intermodulation distortion product that are in-phase with each other, and the second stage is arranged to generate a second third order intermodulation distortion product that is in anti-phase to the fundamental product generated by the first stage;

a balun, with the balanced ports of the balun being connected to the second input ports of each sub-harmonic mixer, and the unbalanced port of the balun being arranged to be used as an input port of the sub-harmonic mixer device; and
a differential amplifier with a first and a second input port to which the output ports of the first and second sub-harmonic mixers are connected, respectively, with an output port of the amplifier being arranged to be the output port of the sub-harmonic mixer device.

Assignees

• Bao Mingquan
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Bao Mingquan

Classifications

• H03D7/02 Primary

  by means of diodes (H03D7/14 - H03D7/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03D7/12

  by means of semiconductor devices having more than two electrodes (H03D7/14 - H03D7/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• G10H1/32 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title