Mixers

Theory and Applications

BITX20 bidirectional SSB transceiver
 BITX20 bidirectional SSB transceiver

RF Filter IF Filter
Mixer

Antenna
Mixer
LO BFO

Transmit direction shown

Mic
Summary of our radio waveforms
Audio Frequency (AF)

Beat Frequency Oscillator (BFO)

Intermediate Frequency stage (IF)

Local Oscillator (LO)

Radio Frequency stage (RF).

The ideal mixer (A reminder)

An ideal mixer multiplies rather than adds waveforms.

In a moment we will look at the electronics of mixers.

If you feed two sine waves at frequencies F and G into

a multiplier you just get sine waves at frequencies
F+G and F-G and no harmonics.

Lets remind ourselves what these waveforms are like

before we look in more detail at real mixers.
 The inputs to the ideal mixer
1

0.5

2000Hz 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01

-0.5

-1

0.5

2200Hz 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01

-0.5

-1
 The output from the ideal mixer

200Hz 0.5

and 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01

-0.5

4200Hz
-1
Some maths

Last time we noted that the output waveforms were 90

degree phase shifted sine waves of half the amplitude.

For many purposes this makes no difference. However

we will look at this in more detail later in the talk (but
avoiding maths).

Sin(f)* Sin(g) = Cos(f-g)/2 – Cos(f+g)/2

A simple unbalanced Mixer
+V
R3

F R1 Out

G R2
 Diode Characteristic
0.7
Voltage in volts

0.68

0.66

0.64

0.62

1 2 3 4 5

Current in milliamps
 Disadvantages of the simple mixer

• No carrier rejection (G)

• No input rejection (F)

• High drive voltage needed on all inputs

• Harmonic distortion on all signals

BITX20 bidirectional SSB transceiver
 A diode ring Mixer
F G

Out
 Ring Mixer G Positive
F G
+

Out
+

-
 Ring Mixer G Negative
F G
-

Out
-

+
 Advantages of the ring mixer
• Good carrier rejection

• Good Input rejection

 Disadvantages of the ring mixer
• High drive current needed on carrier input

• Harmonic distortion (on carrier input)

• Expensive discrete components

• Needs transformers to work properly

 A Double balanced Mixer
+V
R2 R3
Out 1 Out 2

F1 F2

G1 G2

R1

0V
 G input positive on left
+V
R2 R3
Out 1 Out 2

F1 F2

+ -

R1

0V
 G input positive on Right
+V
R2 R3
Out 1 Out 2

F1 F2

- +

R1

0V
 Advantages of the double balanced
mixer
• Almost linear on each input
• Great carrier and input rejection
• Low drive signals needed.
• Low harmonic distortion on both inputs
• Well suit to IC manufacture
• No transformers
• Cheap (due to IC process)
Real devices: MC1496
Real devices:SA602A
Orthogonality

Two things are orthogonal if changing one doesn’t

change the other. In geometry this is a right angle.

For example: Latitude, Longitude and Altitude over

sea are orthogonal. Over land they are not.

Sine waves of different frequencies are Orthogonal.

Most other waveforms are not orthogonal.

Orthogonality Example
If you feed sine waves at frequencies F and G into a
mixer you get sine waves at frequencies F+G and F-G.

If F=G then you get 2F and DC out

So if you take the DC average of the output you will

get zero unless F=G. (Only true for orthogonal
waveforms such as sine waves)

So if we use an accurate signal generator for G then

the DC value is a measure of the harmonic of F at G
The spectrum analyser
If we vary the frequency of our signal generator G into
our mixer then we can measure the strength of the
signal F at a range of frequencies. (Just like tuning a
radio)

If the signal F that we are measuring is not a pure sine

wave then as we tune the generator we will only
measure the sine wave component of the signal F at
the frequency of our generator G.

So by sweeping G we can measure the spectrum of F

The Fourier transform
Previously we said that when you mix F and G and
F=G you will get a DC average. This is only true if F
and G are in phase. If F and G are antiphase you get a
negative DC value.

However if F and G are 90 degrees apart you will get

zero. So you can measure the phase of F by measuring
at both 0 and 90 degrees (I and Q).

Note that sine and cosine waves at the same frequency

are orthogonal.
The Fourier transform
A Fourier transform is like a spectrum analyser.

Multiply the original waveform by sine waves of each

harmonic in turn and take the DC averages. These give
you the sine wave harmonics.

Now do the same thing with cosine waves, This gives

you the cosine wave harmonics. (90 degrees shifted)

We will see that for a Square wave you get the 1/3, 1/5
1/7 ratios (odd harmonics) we used in the signals talk.
A square wave to be Fourier transformed

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1
Mixer input G to measure the fundamental
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1
Mixer output for the fundamental
1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

Note the strong positive DC average

Mixer output for the 2nd harmonic
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the average is zero (even harmonic)

Mixer output for the 3nd harmonic
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the 4 positive peaks 2 negative. Average

is 2/6. This is 1/3 of the fundamental signal
Mixer output for the 4th harmonic
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the average is zero (even harmonic)

Mixer output for 5nd harmonic
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the 6 positive peaks 4 negative. Average

is 2/10. This is 1/5 of the fundamental signal
Mixer output for the 6th harmonic
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the average is zero (even harmonic)

Mixer output for 7nd harmonic
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the 8 positive peaks 6 negative. Average

is 2/14. This is 1/7 of the fundamental signal
But what about the cosine components?
So far we have only looked at the sine wave (in
phase) components. We should check if there are
any Cosine (90 degree phase shifted) components.
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the Cosine is symmetric about the centre

Mixer output for the Fundamental Cosine
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the average is zero (anti-symmetric about centre)

Mixer output for the 2nd Harmonic Cosine
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the average is zero (anti-symmetric about centre)

Mixer output for the 3rd Harmonic Cosine
1

0.5

0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002

-0.5

-1

Note the average is zero (anti-symmetric about centre)

Summary of the components of a Square wave
We have seen that you do get the 1/3, 1/5 1/7 ratios
(odd harmonics) we used in the signals talk.

The even Sine harmonics have equal numbers of plus

and minus (half wave) peaks so are zero

Odd Sine harmonics all have two more positive peaks

than negative out of a total of double their harmonic
number. Hence the 1/3, 1/5, 1/7 etc. ratios.

Cosine harmonics are all anti-symmetric and thus zero

The Inverse Fourier transform
In the signals talk we took the harmonics of a square
wave and combined them.

This was an Inverse Fourier transform!

(If done correctly these transforms are reversible and

lossless)

We may look at the Fast Fourier transform (FFT) in a

later talk. Its just a quicker way of doing Fourier
transforms.
Questions?