Mixing with Deformed Local Oscillator Signal

1. What is mixer and local oscillator?
2. What is the function of RF mixer?
3. Why is the local oscillator signal important?
4. What is mixer in communication?

What is mixer and local oscillator?

In electronics, a local oscillator (LO) is an electronic oscillator used with a mixer to change the frequency of a signal. This frequency conversion process, also called heterodyning, produces the sum and difference frequencies from the frequency of the local oscillator and frequency of the input signal.

What is the function of RF mixer?

An RF mixer is a three-port passive or active device that can modulate or demodulate a signal. The purpose is to change the frequency of an electromagnetic signal while (hopefully) preserving every other characteristic (such as phase and amplitude) of the initial signal.

Why is the local oscillator signal important?

The local oscillator is the heart of the receiver. It is the most critical circuit in the entire receiver because any drift or instability in the local oscillator will translate into drift and instability in the received signal.

What is mixer in communication?

Mixers are widely used to shift signals from one frequency range to another, a process known as heterodyning, for convenience in transmission or further signal processing. For example, a key component of a superheterodyne receiver is a mixer used to move received signals to a common intermediate frequency.