Howtosignalprocessing
How does RF mixer circuit work?
A mixer takes an RF input signal at a frequency fRF, mixes it with a LO signal at a frequency fLO, and produces an IF output signal that consists of the sum and difference frequencies, fRF ± fLO.
What are RF mixers used for?
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.
How to choose RF mixer?
Simply stated, there are three basic steps: (1) Deciding on a surface-mount, connector, or plug-in version. (2) Selecting the mixer “Level”, which is the LO (local oscillator) drive power in dBm required for the application. (3) Picking a model that extends over the frequency range involved.
What is IQ mixer?
An IQ-mixer consists of two balanced mixers and two hy- brids. It provides two IF signals with equal amplitudes which are in phase quadrature. These devices play an in- creasing role in the processing of high-frequency signals, especially as modulators and demodulators.
