US 6,192,229 B1Granted

Diode mixer circuit

AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation

InventorsEduard F. Stikvoort, Petrus G. M. Baltus, Antoon M. H. Tombeur

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Abstract

In a diode mixer circuit MIX, a driving circuit DRIV produces a first, second, third and fourth drive signal DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4. Each drive signal is a combination of a first and a second input signal LO, RF with the following signs: DS1: +LO+RF DS2: +LO−RF DS3: −LO+RF DS4: −LO−RF A first, second, third and fourth diode D1, D2, D3, D4 transfer the first, second, third and fourth drive signal DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4 respectively, to an output O1. The first and fourth diodes D1, D4 have the same polarity relative to the output. The second and third diodes D2, D3 also have the same polarity relative to the output, but opposite to that of the first and fourth diodes D1, D4. A mixer circuit of this type is suitable for a relatively large variety of applications, notably because it may be realized in the form of an integrated circuit.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A diode mixer circuit for mixing a first and a second input signal (LO, RF), characterized in that a diode mixer circuit comprises

a driving circuit (DRIV) for producing a first, second, third and fourth drive signal (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4), each drive signal being a combination of the first and the second input signal (LO, RF), the first and the second input signal (LO, RF) having the following signs in the first, second, third and fourth drive signal:
+/+(DS1:
+LO+RF), +/−(DS2:
+LO−RF), −/+(DS3:
−LO+RF) AND −/−(DS4:−LO−RF) respectively;
and
a group of diodes (D1-D4) comprising a first, second, third and fourth diode (D1, D2, D3, D4) which are coupled for transferring the first, second, third and fourth drive signal (DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4) respectively, to an output, the first and fourth diodes (D1, D4) having the same polarity relative to the output (01), and the second and third diodes (D2, D3) having the same polarity relative to the output (01), but opposite to that of the first and fourth diodes (D1, D4).

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.