DC to 8 GHz 11 dB gain Gilbert micromixer using GaInP/GaAs HBT technology

A wideband GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) micromixer from DC to 8 GHz with 11 dB single-ended conversion gain is demonstrated. The input return loss is better than 10 dB for frequencies up to 9 GHz. The single-to-differential input stage in a Gilbert micromixer renders good wideband frequency response and eliminates the need for common-mode rejection. IP/sub 1dB/=-17 dBm and IIP/sub 3/=-7 dBm are achieved for a small local oscillator power of -2 dBm when LO=5.35 GHz and RF=5.7 GHz.     

A 5.2-GHz GaInP/GaAs HBT double-quadrature downconverter with polyphase filters for 40-dB image rejection

A 5.2-GHz 11-dB gain, IP/sub 1 dB/=-17 dBm and IIP/sub 3/=-10 dBm double-quadrature Gilbert downconversion mixer with polyphase filters is demonstrated by using GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology. The image rejection ratio is better than 40 dB when LO=5.17 GHz and intermediate frequency (IF) is in the range of 15 MHz to 40 MHz. The Gilbert downconverter has four-stage RC-CR IF polyphase filters for image rejection. Polyphase filters are also used to generate local (LO) and radio frequency (RF) quadrature signals around 5 GHz in the double-quadrature downconverter because GaAs has accurate thin film resistors and the low parasitic semi-insulating substrate.     

A 77 GHz SiGe sub-harmonic balanced mixer

A novel SiGe 77 GHz sub-harmonic balanced mixer is presented with a goal to push the technology to its limit [SiGe2-RF transistor (f/sub T/=80 GHz)]. This new topology uses a compact input network not only to achieve high isolation between the LO and RF ports, but also to result in excellent 2LO-RF isolation. The measured results demonstrate a conversion gain of 0.7 dB at 77 GHz with an LO power of 10 dBm at 38 GHz, LO-RF isolation better than 30 dB, 2LO-RF isolation of 25 dB, and a P/sub 1dB/ of -8 dBm. The mixer core consumes 4.4 mA at 5 V. The circuit demonstrates that SiGe sub-harmonic mixers have comparable performance with GaAs designs, at a fraction of the cost.     

InAlAs/InGaAs HBT X-band double-balanced upconverter

We report on an InAlAs/InGaAs HBT Gilbert cell double-balanced mixer which upconverts a 3 GHz IF signal to an RF frequency of 5-12 GHz. The mixer cell achieves a conversion loss of between 0.8 dB and 2.6 dB from 5 to 12 GHz. The LO-RF and IF-RF isolations are better than 30 dB at an LO drive of +5 dBm across the RF band. A pre-distortion circuit is used to increase the linear input power range of the LO port to above +5 dBm. Discrete amplifiers designed for the IF and RF frequency ports make up the complete upconverter architecture which achieves a conversion gain of 40 dB for an RF output bandwidth of 10 GHz. The upconverter chip set fabricated with InAlAs/InGaAs HBT's demonstrates the widest gain-bandwidth performance of a Gilbert cell based upconverter compared to previous GaAs and InP HBT or Si-bipolar IC's     

45 GHz active HEMT mixer

A low-noise 45 GHz mixer has been realised using a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). This is the first reported active mixer above 30 GHz and the first reported HEMT mixer. The mixer exhibits 1.5 dB maximum gain at 4 dBm local oscillator (LO) power and 8.1 dB noise figure, including a 2.6 dB NF IF amplifier, at 2 dBm LO power.     

Signal generation, control, and frequency conversion AlGaN/GaN HEMT MMICs

We review the design and experimental results of three new AlGaN/GaN high electron-mobility transistor monolithic microwave integrated circuits: a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a single-pole-double-throw switch (SPDT), and a resistive field-effect transistor mixer. The VCO exhibits frequency range between 8.5-9.5 GHz with maximum output power of 35 dBm (at V/sub ds/=30 V) across a 50-/spl Omega/ load. The L/S band SPDT switch at 0.9, 1.8, and 2.1 GHz was measured to have 0.87-, 0.96-, 1-dB insertion loss and 46-, 42-, and 41-dB isolation, respectively. The switch also shows linear performance for the power levels up to 1 W in the insertion mode. A singly ended X-band resistive mixer has exhibited very low intermodulation, less than -60 dBc for the second and third harmonics of the IF at the RF power level of 10 dBm, and high power handling, P/sub 1 dB/ is estimated to be at least 1 W, with the conversion loss of 17 dB.     

20-GHz 5-dB-gain analog multipliers with AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs

From-DC-to-above-20-GHz monolithic Gilbert cell analog multipliers have been developed using AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology. As a double balanced active mixer, it exhibits very high conversion gain of above +5 dB with extremely high LO-IF isolation of 33 dB for RF/LO inputs up to 20 GHz. It exhibits conversion gain of +9 dB for 5 GHz RF/LO inputs. As a double balanced upconverter, it exhibits positive conversion gain with high LO-RF isolation of 23 dB for RF output up to 8.5 GHz. As a detection mixer in coherent optical heterodyne receivers, it can operate for RF/LO inputs up to 15 GHz under a less than -7.5 dBm LO input condition     

A monolithic double-balanced direct conversion mixer with an integrated wideband passive balun

This paper presents the design and performance characteristics of a 20-40 GHz monolithic double-balanced direct conversion mixer implemented using InGaP/GaAs HBT process. The compact MMIC mixer makes use of a Gilbert-cell multiplier and utilizes a broadband monolithic passive balun that has been developed for MMIC applications. The new balun makes use of multidielectric layer structure to achieve a broadband performance in a simple coplanar configuration. A measured return loss better than 15 dB, with a maximum insertion loss of 4.5 dB including the 3-dB power splitting loss has been achieved over the band from 15 to 45 GHz. Operated as a downconverter mixer, the newly developed direct conversion mixer achieves a measured conversion gain of 16 dB given an RF signal at 30 GHz, LO drive of 5 dBm and a downconverted baseband signal at 10 MHz. The mixer IP3 occurs at an output power of 4 dBm while the IP2 occurs at an output power of 11 dBm.     

A V-band up-converting InP HEMT active mixer with low LO-power requirements

In this letter, we present a monolithically integrated up-converting active mixer that shifts a signal in the 16 GHz range up to the V-band using a 48 GHz local oscillator (LO) signal. The circuit was realized with the 0.2 /spl mu/m InP HEMT in-house process of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich using coplanar-waveguide technology. Measurements of the fabricated circuit show a peak conversion gain of 1 dB at 64.5 GHz for -1.7 dBm LO power, LO suppression better than 30 dB and input third-order intercept point of -1.6 dBm. This mixer will be employed in the signal up-conversion path of a 60 GHz transceiver for indoor wireless LANs.     

60 GHz double-balanced up-conversion mixer on 130 nm CMOS technology

A millimetre-wave Gilbert-cell up-conversion mixer using standard 130 nm CMOS technology is presented. This mixer has a power conversion gain of better than 2 dB and has the highest reported OP 1 dB of -5.6 dBm when driven with a LO power of 0 dBm. The LO to RF isolation are better than 37 dB for LO from 57 to 65 GHz. Microstrip lines were employed for the matching network design at the mixer output. This is believed to be the first CMOS Gilbert-cell up-conversion mixer operating in the 60 GHz frequency band using fundamental LO.     

Impact of local oscillator intensity noise on performance of coherent subcarrier multiplexing system using common local oscillator (CLO)

The impact of local oscillator intensity noise on the performance of a coherent subcarrier multiplexing (CSCM) system using a common local oscillator (CLO) is analysed. For a given LO power, RIN noise, and thermal noise, the CNR can be expressed in terms of x, the ratio of sigma /sub sh//sup 2/+ sigma /sub th//sup 2/ over sigma /sub RIN//sup 2/ and, for x<<1, the CNR decreases as LO power increases; for x>>1, the CNR increases as the LO power increases; as x approaches 1, there exist an optimum value of local oscillator power and a corresponding maximum CNR. For a system with RIN=-150 dB/Hz, P/sub S/=-20 dBm, beta =0.02, N=40, NF=3 dB and B=10 MHz, the (P/sub LO/)/sub opt/ is found to be -4 dBm and (CNR)/sub max/ 22.5 dB.<>     

Broadband single- and double-balanced resistive HEMT monolithicmixers

A double-balanced (DB) 3-18 GHz and a single-balanced (SB) 2-16 GHz resistive HEMT monolithic mixer have been successfully developed. The DB mixer consists of a AlGaAs/InGaAs HEMT quad, an active LO balun, and two passive baluns for RF and IF. At 16 dBm LO power, this mixer achieves the conversion losses of 7.5-9 dB for 4-13 GHz RF and 7.5-11 dB for 3-18 GHz RF. The SB mixer consists of a pair of AlGaAs/InGaAs HEMT's, an active LO balun, a passive IF balun and a passive RF power divider. At 16 dBm LO power, this mixer achieves the conversion losses of 8-10 dB for 4-15 GHz RF and 8-11 dB for 2-16 GHz RF. The simulated conversion losses of both mixers are very much in agreement with the measured results. Also, the DB mixer achieves a third-order input intercept (IP₃) of +19.5 to +27.5 dBm for a 7-18 GHz RF and 1 GHz IF at a LO drive of 16 dBm while the SB mixer achieves an input IP ₃ of +20 to +28.5 dBm for 2 to 16 GHz RF and 1 GHz IF at a 16 dBm LO power. The bandwidth of the RF and LO frequencies are approximately 6:1 for the DB mixer and 8:1 for the SB mixer. The DB mixer of this work is believed to be the first reported DB resistive HEMT MMIC mixer covering such a broad bandwidth     

Conversion gain and intermodulation performance of a GaAs HBT 50-950 MHz upconvertor

The authors report the measured performance of a single ended GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) upconverting mixer from 50 to 950 MHz, showing a conversion gain of 19.4 dB and output intermodulation intercept point (OIP/sub 3/) of +20.5 dBm with local oscillator drive power of 0 dBm. The measured results demonstrate the suitability of the HBT for use in low power consumption upconvertor circuits.<>     

A wide-bandwidth Si/SiGe HBT direct conversion sub-harmonicmixer/downconverter

A wideband sub-harmonic mixer/direct-conversion downconverter is implemented in a Si/SiGe HBT technology, with improved rejection of the local oscillator (LO), high input intercept point, and low current requirements. The circuit utilizes a combination of phase shifters operating at 45° and 90° to achieve better than 33-dB input-referred rejection of the LO. The measured third-order input intercept point (IIP3) was approximately -3 dBm and the second-order input intercept point (IIP2) was roughly 35 dBm, with a measured double sideband (DSB) noise figure of 7.8 dB. A comparison was made between devices of differing germanium concentration in the base, and the devices with higher Ge content exhibited improved noise figure and gain. Each mixer required approximately 2.8 mA from a 3.3 V supply     

Highly integrated 60 GHz transmitter and receiver MMICs in a GaAs pHEMT technology

Highly integrated transmitter and receiver MMICs have been designed in a commercial 0.15 /spl mu/m, 88 GHz f/sub T//183 GHz f/sub MAX/ GaAs pHEMT MMIC process and characterized on both chip and system level. These chips show the highest level of integration yet presented in the 60 GHz band and are true multipurpose front-end designs. The system operates with an LO signal in the range 7-8 GHz. This LO signal is multiplied in an integrated multiply-by-eight (X8) LO chain, resulting in an IF center frequency of 2.5 GHz. Although the chips are inherently multipurpose designs, they are especially suitable for high-speed wireless data transmission due to their very broadband IF characteristics. The single-chip transmitter MMIC consists of a balanced resistive mixer with an integrated ultra-wideband IF balun, a three-stage power amplifier, and the X8 LO chain. The X8 is a multifunction design by itself consisting of a quadrupler, a feedback amplifier, a doubler, and a buffer amplifier. The transmitter chip delivers 3.7/spl plusmn/1.5 dBm over the RF frequency range of 54-61 GHz with a peak output power of 5.2 dBm at 57 GHz. The single-chip receiver MMIC contains a three-stage low-noise amplifier, an image reject mixer with an integrated ultra-wideband IF hybrid and the same X8 as used in the transmitter chip. The receiver chip has 7.1/spl plusmn/1.5 dB gain between 55 and 63 GHz, more than 20 dB of image rejection ratio between 59.5 and 64.5 GHz, 10.5 dB of noise figure, and -11 dBm of input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3).     

一款集成驱动放大器的低变频损耗混频器设计

采用0.5μm GaAs工艺设计并制造了一款单片集成驱动放大器的低变频损耗混频器.电路主要包括混频部分、巴伦和驱动放大器3个模块.混频器的射频(RF)、本振(LO)频率为4～7 GHz,中频(IF)带宽为DC～2.5 GHz,芯片变频损耗小于7 dB,本振到射频隔离度大于35 dB,本振到中频隔离度大于27 dB.1 dB压缩点输入功率大于11 dBm,输入三阶交调点大于20 dBm.该混频器单片集成一款驱动放大器,解决了无源混频器要求大本振功率的问题,变频功能由串联二极管环实现,巴伦采用螺旋式结构,在实现超低变频损耗和良好隔离度的同时,保持了较小的芯片面积.整体芯片面积为1.1 mm×1.2 mm.     

宽中频CMOS下变频器单片

该文介绍了一种工作于毫米波频段的宽中频(IF)下变频器.该下变频器基于无源双平衡的设计架构,片上集成了射频(RF)和本振(LO)巴伦.为了优化无源下变频器的增益、带宽和隔离度性能,电路设计中引入了栅极感性化技术.测试结果表明,该下变频器的中频带宽覆盖0.5～12?GHz.在频率为30?GHz、幅度为4?dBm的LO信号...     

带有小型化Balun的C波段单片GaAs pHEMT单平衡电阻性混频器

 本文介绍了一种带有小型化无源Balun的C波段单片GaAs pHEMT单平衡电阻性混频器.Balun 采用集总—分布式结构,使其长度与常用λ/4耦合线Balun相比缩小了11倍,大大降低了将无源Balun应用于C波段单片集成电路中所需的芯片尺寸.混频器采用单平衡电阻性结构,在零功耗的情况下实现了良好的线性和口间隔离性能.测试结果显示,在固定中频160MHz,本振输入功率0dBm条件下,在3.5~5GHz RF频带内,最小变频损耗为8.3dB,1dB压缩点功率为8.0dBm,LO至IF之间的隔离度为38dB.     

A 5.7-GHz 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS gain-controlled differential LNA with current reuse for WLAN receiver

This letter presents a 5.7 GHz 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS gain-controlled differential LNA for an IEEE 802.11a WLAN application. The differential LNA, fabricated with the 0.18 /spl mu/m 1P6M standard CMOS process, uses a current-reuse technology to increase linear gain and save power consumption. The circuit measurement is performed using an FR-4 PCB test fixture. The LNA exhibits a noise figure of 3.7 dB, linear gain of 12.5 dB, P/sub 1dB/ of -11 dBm, and gain tuning range of 6.9 dB. The power consumption is 14.4 mW at V/sub DD/=1.8 V.     

A D‐Band Balanced Subharmonically‐Pumped Resistive Mixer Based on 100‐nm mHEMT Technology

A D‐band subharmonically‐pumped resistive mixer has been designed, processed, and experimentally tested. The circuit is based on a 180° power divider structure consisting of a Lange coupler followed by a λ/4 transmission line (at local oscillator (LO) frequency). This monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) has been realized in coplanar waveguide technology by using an InAlAs/InGaAs‐based metamorphic high electron mobility transistor process with 100‐nm gate length. The MMIC achieves a measured conversion loss between 12.5 dB and 16 dB in the radio frequency bandwidth from 120 GHz to 150 GHz with 4‐dBm LO drive and an intermediate frequency of 100 MHz. The input 1‐dB compression point and IIP3 were simulated to be 2 dBm and 13 dBm, respectively.