Mixer is a very important device in superheterodyne receiver.

RF mixer is mainly used to convert RF power of one frequency into power of another frequency, which makes information processing easier and lower cost. In addition to generating a new frequency signal, other characteristics of the initial signal are maintained at the same time to realize reception or transmission.

Generally speaking, the three ports on the mixer are radio frequency (RF) port, local oscillator port (LO) and intermediate frequency port (if). The radio frequency (RF) port is used to apply high-frequency signals to realize down conversion, or to output high-frequency signals in the up converter. The local oscillator (LO) port is used to power on. LO signal is the strongest signal, and the RF path can be reversed to if path by turning on or off the diode in the switching mixer. In other words, the if port is used to filter the modified RF signal into an IF signal.

Pasternack has four types of mixers:

1) IQ mixer

Pe86x9006 (IQ RF mixer, 30 GHz ~ 38 GHz, replaceable 2.92mm)

2) Triple balanced mixer

Pe8654 (triple balanced mixer, 6 GHz ~ 18 GHz, SMA)

3) Double balanced mixer

Pe86x1017 (double balanced mixer, 10 MHz ~ 1.2 GHz SMA)

4) Waveguide conversion mixer

Pe13u1003 (waveguide conversion mixer, wr-19, 40 GHz ~ 60 GHz, U-Band)

The performance indexes of Pasternack mixer are (refer to pe86x1017)

Noise figure

Frequency conversion loss

1dB compression point

dynamic range

IP3/P1dB

Isolation degree

Local oscillator power

Port standing wave ratio

Intermediate frequency residual DC bias voltage.