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9 - Mixers, switches, modulators, and other control circuits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Sorin Voinigescu
Sorin Voinigescu
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
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Summary

What is a mixer?

A mixer is a three-port circuit that employs a non-linear or time-varying device in order to perform the critical frequency translation function in wireless communication systems. The non-linear or time-varying parameter can be either a conductance/resistance or a transconductance. If the time-varying element is a resistance or conductance, the mixer is called resistive. Mixers that rely on a time-varying transconductance are known as active mixers.

When used in a transmitter, the mixer acts as an upconverter by shifting the data signal from a low frequency to the carrier frequency, making it suitable for transmission by the antenna. In the receiver, it serves as a downconverter by separating the data signal from the carrier and shifting it to a low frequency, where it can be demodulated and processed in a cost-effective manner. Ideally, in both cases, the signal at the output is a replica of the signal at one of the mixer inputs, translated to a lower or higher frequency, with no loss of information and no added distortion.

Most IC mixers are implemented with switches. In addition, image-reject mixers also require 90 degree phase shifters and in-phase power combiners or splitters. Finally, mixers can be employed to realize digital modulators. The final part of this chapter will review switches, phase shifters, and M-ary phase and QAM modulators based on phase shifters and Gilbert cell mixer topologies.

Type
Chapter
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High-Frequency Integrated Circuits , pp. 553 - 620
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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