Unit 5

RF System Design Concepts

Mixers
 Session Meta Data

Author Ramprabhu S
Version No. 1.1
Release Date 10-03-2020
Reviewer
 Revision History

Date of Revision Details Version Number

10 March 2020 1.1
 Session Objectives

 To introduce the concepts of Mixer.

 Session Outcomes

At the end of the session, students will be able to

 Understand the use of mixer and its types.

 Outline

 Mixer

 Single Ended Mixer

 Single Balanced Mixer

 Double Balanced Mixer

 Mixer
• Mixers are commonly used to multiply signals of
different frequencies in an effort to achieve frequency
translation.

• Mixers help reduce the Q factors by the concept of

down-conversion.

• The best known systems is the down-conversion in a

heterodyne receiver
Mixer
Basic Mixer Concept
 Basic Mixer Concept
• Shockley diode equation is given by

• For a MESFET

• Input voltage applied is

 Basic Mixer Concept
• Current output characteristics of non-linear
device is given by Taylor series
 Basic Mixer Concept
• Cosine terms are rewritten using trigonometric
identity taylor
series representation up to third term i.e., upto
second-order inter-modular product is given by
 Frequency Domain Considerations
• Up-conversion process is associated with the
modulation in a transmitter, whereas the down-
conversion is encountered in a receiver
Frequency Domain Considerations
Frequency Domain Considerations
 Problem of Image Frequency
• The desired RF signal transforms as

• The image frequency transforms as

• To suppress the image frequencies image filters

are used
Problem of Image Frequency
Single-Ended Mixer
 Conversion Loss & Noise Figure
The conversion loss (CL) of a mixer is generally
defined in dB as the ratio of supplied input power
PRF over the obtained IF power PIF

Noise Figure of a mixer is given by

Single-Ended Mixer
Single-Balanced Mixer
Single-Balanced Mixer
Double-Balanced Mixer
 Summary

• Important considerations in the mixer design are

Noise Figure, Isolation between LO and RF
signal ports, Nonlinearity, Conversion Loss or
gain between the RF and IF signal powers
 Test Your Understanding
• Write short notes on types of mixers
 References
1. John D Ryder, “Networks, lines and fields”, 2nd
Edition, Prentice Hall India, 2015.

2. Mathew M. Radmanesh, “Radio Frequency &

Microwave Electronics”, Pearson Education Asia,
Second Edition, 2002.

3. Reinhold Ludwig and Powel Bretchko, “RF Circuit

Design - Theory and Applications”, Pearson Education
Asia, First Edition, 2001.