Radiated input mixer
AssigneeThe Bendix Corporation
InventorKenneth R. Moser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiated input mixer for converting a radio frequency (RF) signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal with the aid of a local oscillator (LO) signal includes, in combination, an antenna having balanced feed terminals, a diode quad, and a balun with balanced terminals orthogonally positioned with respect to the antenna terminals to provide a less complex and more efficient device of the type described than has heretofore been known in the art.
Claims13
A mixer for converting a radiated radio frequency input signal into an intermediate frequency output signal with the aid of a local oscillator signal, comprising:
- an antenna including a pair of arms and a pair of balanced feed terminals each of which is connected to a corresponding arm, with the antenna receiving the radiated radio frequency input signal;
- a balun including a pair of conductors and a pair of balanced feed terminals orthogonally disposed with respect to the antenna terminals, and each of the conductors connected to a corresponding balun terminal, with the balun carrying the local oscillator signal;
- a balanced diode quad disposed at an end of the balun and connected to the antenna terminals and the balun terminals;
- the diode quad providing broad band isolation between the radio frequency and local oscillator signals, and providing a phase relationship between said signals so that the intermediate frequency output signal is present on a selected combination of the antenna arms and the balun conductors;
- the balun and the antenna arms being arranged so that the plane of the antenna arms and the plane of the balun are perpendicular, whereby the local oscillator and radio frequency signals vector polarizations are in space quadrature;
- and
- the space quadrature of the signal vector polarizations and the balance of the diodes in the diode quad being determinative of the isolation between the radio frequency and local oscillator signals.
A mixer as described by claim 10, wherein:
- the balun and the antenna arms are arranged so that the plane of the antenna arms and the plane of the balun are perpendicular, whereby the local oscillator and radio frequency signal vector polarizations are in space quadrature;
- and
- the space quadrature of the signal vector polarizations and the balance of the diodes in the diode quad being determinative of the isolation between the radio frequency and local oscillator signals.
A mixer for converting a radiated radio frequency input signal into an intermediate frequency output signal with the aid of a local oscillator signal, comprising:
- an antenna including a pair of arms and a pair of balanced feed terminals each of which is connected to a corresponding arm, with the antenna receiving the radiated radio frequency input signal;
- a balun including a pair of conductors and a pair of balanced feed terminals orthogonally disposed with respect to the antenna terminals, and each of the conductors connected to a corresponding balun terminal, with the balun carrying the local oscillator signal;
- a balanced diode quad disposed at an end of the balun and connected to the antenna terminals and the balun terminals;
- the diode quad providing broad band isolation between the radio frequency and local oscillator signals, and providing a phase relationship between said signals so that the intermediate frequency output signal is present on a selected combination of the antenna arms and the balun conductors;
- the diode quad being in a bridge polarity and connected so that the intermediate frequency signal is provided between the antenna terminals;
- and
- coaxial cables connecting the outer extremities of the antenna arms to a balanced to unbalanced intermediate frequency transformer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.