Reduction of gain switching induced phase jumps in high dynamic range downcoversion mixers

A system for minimizing phase jumps in an output signal, the system comprising:

• an input module to receive an input voltage signal and convert the voltage signal to a current signal, the input module outputting the current signal;
• a switching stage to receive the current signal and output a first signal comprising high-frequency upconverted products and low-frequency downconverted products;
• an interface, comprising at least one capacitor, to receive the first signal and attenuate the high-frequency upconvereted products while outputting a second signal comprising the low-frequency downconverted products, the interface further comprising an capacitance module comprising at least one additional capacitor;
• a load module to receive the second signal, the load module comprising an operational amplifier and at least one variable resistance load, with the load module outputting the output signal, a gain of the system determined by an impedance of the variable resistance load;
• and
• a digital control module communicatively coupled with the interface, with the digital control module selectively engaging the additional capacitors such that a product of a magnitude of a total capacitance at the interface and a magnitude of the variable resistance load is substantially constant in view of varying the variable resistance load.

A method of minimizing phase jumps in an output signal, the method comprising:

• receiving a input voltage signal and converting the voltage signal to a current signal;
• mixing the current signal by a mixer to generate a first signal comprising high-frequency upconverted products and low-frequency downconverted products;
• attenuating the high-frequency upconverted products by at least one capacitor to generate a second signal;
• passing the second signal to a load, comprising an operational amplifier and at least one variable resistance load, with a gain of the input voltage signal determined by an impedance of the variable resistance load;
• altering a magnitude of the resistance load;
• and
• selectively engaging additional capacitors such that a product of a magnitude of a total capacitance between the mixer and the load and a magnitude of the variable resistance load is substantially constant in view of varying the variable resistance load.