Active frequency mixer and frequency mixing method with improved gain and noise
AssigneeThe Industry & Academic Cooperation in Chungnam National University (IAC)
InventorsJunghwan Han, Junhyeop Kim
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Abstract
An active frequency mixer comprises magnetically coupled inductors, including a transconductance stage configured to receive an RF signal and output a current corresponding to the input signal, a switching stage configured to convert a frequency of a signal output from the transconductance stage using a local oscillation signal and output the converted frequency signal, a load stage electrically connected between the switching stage and a power terminal, and a current bleeding stage connected in parallel with the load stage and outputting a bleeding current to the switching stage.
Claims11
An active frequency mixer including magnetically coupled inductors, comprising:
- a transconductance stage configured to receive an input RF signal and output a current corresponding to the input RF signal;
- a switching stage configured to convert a frequency of a signal output from the transconductance stage using a local oscillation signal and output the converted frequency signal;
- a load stage electrically connected between the switching stage and a power terminal;
- a current bleeding stage connected in parallel with the load stage and outputting a bleeding current to the switching stage;
- a first inductor stage including a first inductor having one end electrically connected to an output terminal of the current bleeding stage;
- and
- a second inductor stage including a second inductor electrically connected between an output terminal of the transconductance stage and an input terminal of the switching stage,
- wherein the first inductor and the second inductor are magnetically coupled to each other.
A frequency mixing method, comprising:
- receiving an input RF signal by a transconductance stage, amplifying the input RF signal based on a transconductance, and outputting the amplified RF signal to a switching stage;
- converting a frequency of the amplified RF signal, being the input RF signal amplified based on the transconductance, using a local oscillation signal, and outputting the converted frequency signal by the switching stage;
- electrically connecting a power terminal to the switching stage using a load;
- outputting a bleeding current from a current bleeding stage connected in parallel with the load to the switching stage;
- electrically connecting one end of a first inductor to an output terminal of the current bleeding stage;
- electrically connecting a second inductor between an output terminal of the transconductance stage and an input terminal of the switching stage;
- and
- magnetically coupling the first inductor and the second inductor to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.