Frequency translating devices and frequency translating measurement systems with DC bias added to a mixer diode

A method for operating a frequency translating device (FTD) that includes at least one mixer diode, said at least one mixer diode having a threshold voltage, said method comprising:

• down-converting a radio frequency (RF) to an intermediate frequency (IF), said down-conversion having a down-conversion response;
• up-converting an IF to an RF, said up-conversion having an up-conversion response;
• controlling the excitation of the parasitic voltage-dependent capacitance of said at least one mixer diode during said down-conversion and said up-conversion to make said down-conversion response reciprocal to said up-conversion response by providing a direct current (DC) bias to a DC source at each of said at least one mixer diode that moves the voltage that is applied to said at least one mixer diode closer to said threshold voltage of said at least one mixer diode;
• and
• providing a local oscillator (LO) drive to said at least one mixer diode.

A system for determining the conversion response of a device under test (DUT), the DUT is a frequency translation device (FTD), the system comprising:

• means for coupling the DUT to a first test FTD (TM1) during a first measurement, for coupling said DUT to a second test FTD (TM2) during a second measurement, and for coupling said TM1 to said TM2 during a third measurement, said TM1 and TM2 are FTDs, said first measurement provides a first conversion response of said DUT coupled with said TM1 with one of the coupled DUT and TM1 being an up-converter FTD and the other one of said coupled DUT and TM1 being a down-convener FTD, said second measurement provides a second conversion response of said DUT coupled to said TM2 with one of said coupled DUT and TM2 being an up-convener FTD and the other one of said coupled DUT and TM2 being a down-converter FTD, the third measurement provides a third conversion response of said TM1 coupled with said TM2 with one of said coupled TM1 and TM2 being an up-converter FTD and the other one of said coupled TM1 and TM2 being a down-converter FTD, one of said TM1 FTD and TM2 FTD has reciprocal up-conversion and down-conversion responses, said reciprocal FTD is an up-converter during one of said first, second, or third measurements and is a down-converter during another one of said first, second, or third measurements, said reciprocal FTD including:
• at least one mixer diode connected to down-convert and to up-convert, said mixer diode having a threshold voltage;
• means for controlling the excitation of the parasitic voltage-dependent capacitance of said at least one mixer diode to produce said reciprocal conversion response between said down-conversion and said up-conversion, said means for controlling the excitation of the parasitic voltage-dependent capacitance of said at least one mixer diode including at least one source of direct current (DC) bias that is electrically connected to said at least one mixer diode, each of said at least one source of DC bias corresponding to one of each of said at least one mixer diode, said at least one source of DC bias providing a DC bias to said at least one mixer diode that moves the voltage that is applied to said at least one mixer diode closer to said threshold voltage of said at least one mixer diode;
• said at least one mixer diode being turned on in response to said DC bias and in response to a local oscillator (LO) drive;
• an analyzer for measuring said first, second, and third measurements by providing an input signal at a first connection and by sampling an output signal from a second connection;
• and
• a controller for calculating the conversion response of said DUT from said first, second, and third conversion responses.

A method for determining the conversion response of a device under test (DUT), the DUT is a frequency translation device (FTD), the method comprising:

• measuring a first conversion response of said DUT coupled with a first test device (TM1), said TM1 is an FTD, one of said coupled DUT and TM1 is an up-converter FTD and the other one of said coupled DUT and TM1 is a down-converter FTD;
• measuring a second conversion response of said DUT coupled with a second test device (TM2), said TM2 is an FTD, one of said coupled DUT and TM2 is an up-converter FTD and the other one of said coupled DUT and TM2 is a down-converter FTD;
• measuring a third conversion response of said TM1 coupled with said TM2, one of said coupled TM1 and TM2 is an up-converter FTD and the other one of said coupled TM1 and TM2 is a down-converter FTD, one of said TM1 FTD and TM2 FTD has reciprocal up-conversion and down-conversion responses, said reciprocal FTD is an up-converter during one of said first, second, or third measurements and is a down-converter during another one of said first, second, or third measurements, said reciprocal FTD including at least one mixer diode and at least one source of direct current (DC) bias, each of said at least one source of DC bias corresponding to one of each of said at least one mixer diode, wherein the operation of said reciprocal FTD includes:
• controlling the excitation of the parasitic voltage-dependent capacitance of said at least one mixer diode to make said down-conversion response reciprocal to said up-conversion response by providing a direct current (DC) bias to said at least one mixer diode that moves the voltage that is applied to said at least one mixer diode closer to said threshold voltage of said at least one mixer diode;
• providing a local oscillator (LO) drive to said at least one mixer diode;
• and
• calculating the conversion response of said DUT from said first, second, and third conversion responses.