EP0565299A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Double-balanced active mixer with single-ended-to-differential voltage-current conversion circuits
Assignee: Raytheon Co
•
Filing: 1993-03-31
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2013-03-31
Abstract
Abstract An active mixer employs a single-ended-to-differential voltage-to-current conversion circuit (Q1-Q4) to convert an input voltage signal (V in ) to first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals, with the two pairs of complementary current signals matched with each other. An output current steering circuit (Q11-Q14) responds to at least one of the pairs of complementary conversion current signals and to a local oscillator signal (LO, LO) to produce a pair of complementary output signals (V o , V o ) that represent the input voltage signals modulated by the local oscillator signal. In the preferred embodiment two conversion circuits (Q1-Q4, Q1'-Q4') are used to produce the two pairs of complementary conversion current signals, which are differentially linear with respect to the input signal. The conversion current signals from one pair (14, 15) are combined with complementary conversion current signals from the other pair (16, 17) to yield a pair of complementary output signals (V o , V o ) that are differentially linear with respect to the input signal ; each output signal by itself is single-endedly linear with respect to either the input signal or its complement.
Inventors
- 👤 Lawrence M. Burns
- 👤 Dwight D. Birdsall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 02:44
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03D; H03D7/00; H03D7/14; H03D7/1425; H03D7/1433; H03D7/1458; H03D7/1491; H03D2200/00; H03D2200/0001; H03D2200/0019; H03D2200/0033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
An active mixer circuit, comprising: a pair of single-ended-to-differential voltage-to-current conversion circuits for converting a input voltage signal to first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals, with the first pair of conversion current signals matched with the second pair of conversion current signals, and output current steering means responsive to at least one of said pairs of conversion current signals and to a local oscillator signal for producing a pair of complementary output signals that represent said input voltage signal modulated by said local oscillator signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
88 words
An active mixer circuit, comprising: a pair of single-ended-to-differential voltage-to-current conversion circuits for converting a input voltage signal to first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals, with the first pair of conversion current signals matched with the second pair of conversion current signals, and output current steering means responsive to at least one of said pairs of conversion current signals and to a local oscillator signal for producing a pair of complementary output signals that represent said input voltage signal modulated by said local oscillator signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 1, each of said conversion circuits comprising a first pair of complementary bipolar transistors having their bases connected to receive respective ones of said input voltage signals, their emitters connected to respective current sources and their collectors connected to respective voltage references, and a second pair of complementary bipolar transistors having their bases connected to the emitter of the like conductivity transistor in said first transistor pair, their emitters connected to a gain setting circuit, and their collectors providing one of the current signals for each of said first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 2, said gain setting circuit comprising an impedance connected between the emitter of the second pairs of transistors for said pair of conversion circuits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
199 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 1, said output current steering means comprising a first current steering circuit that is responsive to one of said pairs of complementary conversion current signals and to a pair of complementary local oscillator signals to produce a first pair of complementary output current signals that differentially represent said input voltage signals modulated by said local oscillator signal, a second current steering circuit that is responsive to the other of said pairs of complementary conversion current signals and to said pair of complementary local oscillator signals to produce a second pair of complementary output current signals that respectively match said first pair of complementary output current signals, first output means for differentially combining an output current signal from said first current steering circuit with a complementary output current signal from said second current steering circuit to produce a first net output signal that alternates at the local oscillator rate and varies substantially linearly with said input voltage signal, and second output means for differentially combining the other output current signals from said first and second current steering circuits to produce a second net output signal that is complementary to said first net output signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
An active mixer circuit, comprising: means for converting an input voltage signal to first and second pairs of conversion current signals, with the currents of each pair complementary to each other and matched with respective currents of the other pair, and current steering means for mixing at least one conversion current signal from each of said pairs with a mixing signal to produce an output voltage signal that varies substantially linearly with said input voltage signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
An active mixer circuit, comprising: means for converting an input voltage signal to first and second pairs of conversion current signals, with the currents of each pair complementary to each other and matched with respective currents of the other pair, and current steering means for mixing at least one conversion current signal from each of said pairs with a mixing signal to produce an output voltage signal that varies substantially linearly with said input voltage signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
101 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 5, said converting means comprising at least one conversion circuit with a first pair of complementary bipolar transistors having their bases connected to receive said input voltage signal, their emitters connected to respective current sources and their collectors connected to respective voltage references, and a second pair of complementary bipolar transistors having their bases connected to the emitter of the like conductivity transistor in said first pair, their emitters connected to a gain setting circuit, and their collectors providing at least one of the current signals for each of said pairs of complementary conversion currents.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 6, said converting means comprising a matched pair of said conversion circuits for receiving said input voltage signal in the form of complementary input voltage signals applied to respective ones of said conversion circuits.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 7, the emitters of the second pairs of complementary bipolar transistors for said pair of conversion circuits being connected to respective opposite sides of a common gain setting circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 7, wherein the collectors of like conductivity transistors in said second pairs of complementary bipolar transistors provide one of said pairs of complementary conversion currents, and the collectors of the other transistors in said second pairs of complementary bipolar transistors provide the other of said pairs of complementary conversion currents.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 6, said converting means comprising a single one of said converting circuits, the collectors of said second pair of complementary bipolar transistors in said converting circuit providing one current for each of said pairs of complementary currents, and further comprising current mirror means mirroring the currents in the collectors of said second pair of complementary bipolar transistors to provide the other current for each of said pairs of complementary currents.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 5, said current steering means comprising two differentially connected and cross-coupled bipolar transistor pairs with the emitters of each differential pair connected in common to receive respective complementary current signals from said input voltage converting means, their bases connected to receive complementary mixing signals, and their collectors connected to respective voltage output circuits for producing a pair of complementary output voltage signals in response to said complementary current signals.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
65 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 11, said converting means comprising a matched pair of said conversion circuits for receiving respective complementary differential input voltage signals, one of said output differential pairs being connected to receive current from one of said conversion circuits and the other of said output differential pairs being connected to receive a complementary current from the other of said conversion circuits.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 11, wherein said complementary mixing signals comprise a local oscillator signal and its complement.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
107 words
An active mixer circuit, comprising: means for converting an input voltage signal to first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals, first and second current steering means for mixing respective ones of said first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals with a mixing signal to produce respective pairs of complementary output current signals, and means for differentially combining one of the output current signals from one of said pairs of complementary output current signals with a complementary output current signal from the other of said pairs to obtain a first net output signal that is substantially linear with respect to said input voltage signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
107 words
An active mixer circuit, comprising: means for converting an input voltage signal to first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals, first and second current steering means for mixing respective ones of said first and second pairs of complementary conversion current signals with a mixing signal to produce respective pairs of complementary output current signals, and means for differentially combining one of the output current signals from one of said pairs of complementary output current signals with a complementary output current signal from the other of said pairs to obtain a first net output signal that is substantially linear with respect to said input voltage signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 14, further comprising means for differentially combining the other of said output current signals from said one pair of complementary output current signals with a complementary output current signal from said other pair to obtain a second net output signal that is substantially complementary to said first output signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 14, further comprising an impedance in circuit with said differentially combined output current signals to produce an output voltage signal that is substantially linear with respect to said input voltage signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The active mixer of claim 14, wherein said converting means converts said input voltage to first and second pairs of conversion current signals, with the currents of each pair complementary to each other and substantially matched with respective currents of the other pair.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
138 words
The active mixer circuit of claim 14, said converting means comprising a matched pair of conversion circuits for receiving respective complementary input voltage signals, each of said conversion circuits comprising: a first pair of complementary bipolar transistors having their bases connected to receive the input voltage signal for the conversion circuit, their emitters connected to respective current sources and their collectors connected to respective voltage references, and a second pair of complementary bipolar transistors having their bases connected to the emitter of the like conductivity transistor in said first pair, their emitters connected to a gain setting circuit, one of their collectors providing one of the current signals for said first pair of complementary conversion current signals, and the other of their collectors providing one of the current signals for said second pair of complementary conversion current signals.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
154 words
The active mixer of claim 18, said first and second current steering means each comprising respective first, second, third and fourth bipolar transistors of like conductivity, the emitters of the first and second transistors connected together to receive a conversion current from one of said conversion circuits and the emitters of the third and fourth transistors connected together to receive a complementary conversion current from the other of said conversion circuits, the bases of said first and fourth transistors connected to receive a first mixing signal and the bases of said second and third transistors connected to receive a second mixing signal that is complementary to the first mixing signal, the collectors of said first and third transistors corrected together to produce a first output current signal and the collectors of said second and fourth transistors connected together to produce a second output current signal that is complementary to said first output current signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
79 words
The active mixer of claim 19, said combining means comprising means for mirroring each of said output current signals, means for differentially combining a first pair of complementary mirrored currents from said first and second current steering means into said first net output signal, and means for differentially combining a second pair of complementary mirrored currents from said first and second current steering means into a second net output signal that is complementary to said first net output signal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
83 words
The active mixer of claim 19, wherein the transistors of said first current steering means are of like conductivity to, and are connected to receive conversion currents from, one of the second transistors of each conversion circuit, and the transistors of said second current steering means are of unlike conductivity to the transistors of said first current steering means but are of like conductivity to, and are connected to receive conversion currents from, the other of the second transistors of each conversion circuit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
84 words
The active mixer of claim 21, further comprising a drive circuit for providing local oscillator mixing signals to said first and second current steering means, said drive circuit including bipolar transistors that are complementary to the transistors of said first current steering means for providing mixing signals thereto, and bipolar transistors that are complementary to the transistors of said second current steering means for providing mixing signals thereto, thereby enabling phase matched switching by the transistors of said first and second current steering means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
171 words
The active mixer of claim 14, said converting means comprising a matched pair of conversion circuits for receiving respective complementary input voltage signals, said first and second current steering means each comprising respective first, second, third and fourth bipolar transistors of like conductivity, the emitters of the first and second transistors connected together to receive a conversion current from one of said conversion circuits and the emitters of the third and fourth transistors connected together to receive a complementary conversion current from the other of said conversion circuits, the bases of said first and fourth transistors connected to receive a first mixing signal and the bases of said second and third transistors connected to receive a second mixing signal that is complementary to said first mixing signal, the collectors of said first and third transistors connected together to produce a first output current signal and the collectors of said second and fourth transistors connected together to produce a second output current signal that is complementary to said first output current signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
79 words
The active mixer of claim 23, said combining means comprising means for mirroring each of said output current signals, means for differentially combining a first pair of complementary mirrored currents from said first and second current steering means into said first net output signal, and means for differentially combining a second pair of complementary mirrored currents from said first and second current steering means into a second net output signal that is complementary to said first net output signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
The active mixer of claim 23, wherein the transistors of said first current steering means are of like conductivity to each other and are of opposite conductivity to the transistors of said second current steering means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0316999A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.