Resistive planar ring double-balanced mixer

A passive uniplanar double-balanced RF mixing apparatus, comprising:

• a substantially planar support substrate;
• a conductive layer of material disposed on a first side of said substrate;
• a first slotline formed in said conductive layer having an open termination adjacent a first end;
• a second slotline formed in said first conductive layer adjacent to said first slotline conductor and having an open termination adjacent a first end;
• a first coplanar waveguide formed in said conductive layer having one end electrically coupled to said first end of said first slotline, being configured to transfer radio frequency signals of a first predetermined frequency range;
• a second coplanar coaxial waveguide formed in said conductive layer having one end electrically coupled to a first end of said second slotline, and being configured to transfer signals of a second predetermined frequency range;
• first baluns means positioned adjacent to said first coplanar waveguide, said first end of said first slotline, and one of said open terminations;
• second baluns means positioned adjacent to said second coplanar waveguide, said first end of said second slotline, and the other one of said open terminations;
• a third coplanar waveguide formed in said conductive layer having one end electrically coupled to one of said baluns means adjacent one of said slotlines and removed a predetermined distance from a waveguide and being configured to transfer intermediate oscillator frequency signals of predetermined frequency range;
• isolation means disposed in said conductive layer adjacent and between said first and second slotlines for providing electrical isolation between said first and second balus means and waveguides;
• and
• a folded diode ring positioned between said first and second slotlines and electrically connected to said first and second slotlines, and comprising first, second, third, and fourth diodes.

A passive uniplanar double-balanced ring-type mixer, comprising:

• a substantially planar base substrate;
• a first linear slotline of predetermined width and length disposed on a first surface of said substrate and being terminated on a first end in an open termination and on a second end in a folded diode ring;
• a second linear slotline of predetermined width and length disposed on a first surface of said substrate adjacent to said first slotline and being terminated on a first end in an open termination and on a second end in said folded diode ring;
• a first coplanar waveguide disposed on said first surface of said substrate having one end electrically coupled to said first end of said first slotline and a second end configured to transfer signals between said first waveguide and other apparatus;
• a first coplanar waveguide-to-slotline balun disposed on said first surface adjacent to and between said first coplanar waveguide and said slotline first ends;
• a second coplanar waveguide disposed on said first surface of said substrate having one end electrically coupled to a first end of said second slotline and a second configured to transfer signals between said second waveguide and other apparatus;
• a second coplanar waveguide-to-slotline balun disposed on said first surface adjacent to and between said second coplanar waveguide and said second slotline first end;
• extraction means disposed on said first surface of said substrate having one end electrically coupled to one of said baluns adjacent one of said slotlines and removed a predetermined distance from a waveguide associated with said balun for transferring intermediate oscillator frequency signals of predetermined frequency range;
• and
• a folded diode ring positioned between said first and second slotlines and electrically connected to said first and second baluns comprising first, second, third, and fourth diodes wherein said:
• first diode is connected at its anode to the first slotline adjacent to the first balun and at its cathode to the second slotline adjacent to the second balun;
• second diode is connected at its anode to the second slotline adjacent to the second balun and at its cathode to the first slotline adjacent to the first balun;
• third diode is connected at its cathode to the second slotline adjacent to the second balun and at its anode to the first slotline adjacent to the first balun;
• and
• fourth diode is connected at its cathode to the first slotline adjacent to the first balun and at its anode to the second slotline adjacent to the second balun.