IP Library Granted Patent US 8,666,354
Granted Patent B2
US 8,666,354 · App. 12/661,391 · Granted Mar 4, 2014

Distributed, diode mixer circuit

Inventor: Xin Jiang (Chelmsford, MA)
Assignee: Hittite Microwave Corporation
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,666,354
App. No.
12/661,391
Granted
Mar 4, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A distributed, diode mixer circuit includes a plurality of passive diode mixer cores including at least first and second passive diode mixer cores including doubly-balanced diodes in symmetrical balanced configuration forms, each mixer core having a pair of differential reference nodes driven by the reference signal and a pair of differential nodes driven by the data signal and a reactive impedance network including one or multiple reactive elements or transmission lines connected between the like nodes of each the first and second mixer cores.

Claims (26)

1. A distributed, diode mixer circuit comprising:

a plurality of passive diode mixer cores including at least first and second passive diode mixer cores including doubly-balanced diodes in symmetrical balanced configuration forms, each mixer core having differential first and second reference nodes driven by the reference signal and differential first and second data nodes driven by the data signal; and

a reactive impedance network including one or multiple reactive elements or transmission lines connected between the like nodes of each said first and second mixer cores, the reactive impedance network including:

a first impedance between the first reference nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores,

a second impedance between the second reference nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores,

a third impedance between the first data nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores, and

a fourth impedance between the second data nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores.

2. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 1 in which there is a third passive diode mixer core and a second distributed high impedance network including a reactive impedance connected between the like nodes of said third mixer core and one of said first and second mixer cores.

3. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 1 in which each said mixer core includes at least four diodes in a ring configuration, where each branch of the ring may be composed of one or plurality of diodes.

4. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 1 in which said reactive impedances include inductances.

5. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 1 in which said reactive impedances include high impedance transmission lines.

6. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 1 in which each said mixer core includes a four leg diode star with at least one diode in each leg.

7. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 1 further including a reference balun for providing said differential reference signal and a data balun for providing said differential data signal.

8. A distributed diode mixer circuit comprising:

a reference balun for providing a differential reference signal and a data balun for providing a differential data signal;

a plurality of passive diode mixer cores including at least first and second passive diode mixer cores including doubly-balanced diodes in symmetrical balanced configuration forms, each mixer core having differential first and second reference nodes driven by said reference signal and differential first and second data nodes driven by said data signal; and

a reactive impedance network including one or multiple reactive elements or transmission lines connected between the like nodes of each said first and second mixer cores the reactive impedance network including:

a first impedance between the first reference nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores,

a second impedance between the second reference nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores,

a third impedance between the first data nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores, and

a fourth impedance between the second data nodes of the first and second passive diode mixer cores.

9. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 8 in which there is a third passive diode mixer core and a second distributed high impedance network including a reactive impedance connected between the like nodes of said third mixer core and one of said first and second mixer cores.

10. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 8 in which each said mixer core includes at least four diodes in a ring configuration, where each branch of the ring may be composed of one or plurality of diodes.

11. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 8 in which said reactive impedances include inductances.

12. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 8 in which said reactive impedances include high impedance transmission lines.

13. The distributed diode mixer circuit of claim 8 in which each said mixer core includes a four leg diode star with at least one diode in each leg.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 26, 2016
From: HITTITE MICROWAVE CORPORATION
To: HITTITE MICROWAVE LLC
Reel/Frame 039482/0038 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2010
From: JIANG, XIN
To: HITTITE MICROWAVE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024137/0883 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110221505A1 · Sep 15, 2011