Miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit based on a double spiral layout architecture
AssigneeNational Taiwan University
InventorsChe-Chung Kuo, Huei Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit based on a double spiral layout architecture is proposed, which is designed for use to provide a frequency mixing function for millimeter wave (MMW) signals, and which features a downsized circuit layout architecture that allows IC implementation to be more miniaturized than the conventional star-type dual-balanced mixer (DBM). The proposed miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit is distinguished from the conventional star-type DBM particularly in the use of a double spiral layout architecture for the layout of two balun circuit units. This feature allows the required layout area to be only about 15% of that of the conventional star-type DBM.
Claims22
A miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit of the type having a first input port for receiving a first input signal, a second input port for receiving a second input signal, and an output port for outputting an intermediate-frequency signal which is a mixed version of the first input signal and the second input signal;
- the miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit comprising:
- a first balun circuit unit, which has a single-port input interface and a four-port output interface, wherein he single-port input interface is connected to the first input port for receiving the first input signal, while the four-port output interface is used for outputting four balance-to-unbalance transformed signals;
- a second balun circuit unit, which has a single-port input interface and a four-port output interface, wherein the single-port input interface is connected to the second input port for receiving the second input signal, while the four-port output interface is used for outputting four balance-to-unbalance transformed signals;
- and
- a frequency-mixing circuit unit, which is capable of generating an intermediate-frequency signal by mixing the output balance-to-unbalance transformed signals from the first balun circuit unit and the second balun circuit unit;
- wherein
- in integrated circuit layout, the first balun circuit unit and the second balun circuit unit are each constructed on a plurality of distributed transmission lines whose layout patterns are based on a double spiral topology.
A miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit having a first input port for receiving a first input signal, a second input port for receiving a second input signal, and an output port for outputting an intermediate-frequency signal which is a mixed version of the first input signal and the second input signal;
- the miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit comprising:
- a first balun circuit unit, which has a single-port input interface and a four-port output interface, wherein he single-port input interface is connected to the first input port for receiving the first input signal, while the four-port output interface is used for outputting four balance-to-unbalance transformed signals;
- a second balun circuit unit, which has a single-port input interface and a four-port output interface, wherein the single-port input interface is connected to the second input port for receiving the second input signal, while the four-port output interface is used for outputting four balance-to-unbalance transformed signals;
- and
- a frequency-mixing circuit unit of a diode-switched type, which is capable of generating an intermediate-frequency signal by mixing the output balance-to-unbalance transformed signals from the first balun circuit unit and the second balun circuit unit;
- wherein
- in integrated circuit layout, the first balun circuit unit and the second balun circuit unit are each constructed on a plurality of distributed transmission lines whose layout patterns are based on a double spiral topology.
A miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit having a first input port for receiving a first input signal, a second input port for receiving a second input signal, and an output port for outputting an intermediate-frequency signal which is a mixed version of the first input signal and the second input signal;
- the miniaturized dual-balanced mixer circuit comprising:
- a first balun circuit unit, which has a single-port input interface and a four-port output interface, wherein he single-port input interface is connected to the first input port for receiving the first input signal, while the four-port output interface is used for outputting four balance-to-unbalance transformed signals;
- a second balun circuit unit, which has a single-port input interface and a four-port output interface, wherein the single-port input interface is connected to the second input port for receiving the second input signal, while the four-port output interface is used for outputting four balance-to-unbalance transformed signals;
- and
- a frequency-mixing circuit unit of a transistor-switched type, which is capable of generating an intermediate-frequency signal by mixing the output balance-to-unbalance transformed signals from the first balun circuit unit and the second balun circuit unit;
- wherein
- in integrated circuit layout, the first balun circuit unit and the second balun circuit unit are each constructed on a plurality of distributed transmission lines whose layout patterns are based on a double spiral topology.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.