Low power high dynamic range active mixer based microwave downconverter with high isolation

A down converter, comprising:

• an amplifier coupled to receive a radio frequency input signal and to generate an amplified output signal;
• a first biasing circuit including a first biasing transistor and a first node configured to be coupled to a mixer;
• a second biasing circuit including a second biasing transistor and a second node configured to be coupled to the mixer;
• and
• a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled to the amplifier and to a supply voltage node and a secondary winding is coupled to the first biasing circuit at the first node and to the second biasing circuit at the second node.

A down converter, comprising:

• an amplifier coupled to receive an input signal and generate an amplified output signal;
• a first biasing circuit including a first biasing transistor coupled to a first inductor;
• a second biasing circuit including a second biasing transistor coupled to a second inductor;
• a mixer including a first and second resistors and first, second, third, and fourth transistors, wherein the first and second transistors are coupled to the first inductor of the first biasing circuit at a first node, the third transistor and the fourth transistor are coupled to the second inductor of the second biasing circuit at a second node, the first resistor is coupled to the first and third transistors and to a supply voltage node, and the second resistor is coupled to the second and fourth transistors and to the supply voltage node;
• and
• a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled to receive the amplified output signal and a secondary winding is coupled to the first node and to the second node to output the amplified output signal to the mixer.