Monolithic RF active mixer design

An overview of monolithic radio-frequency (RF) active miser design is prese nted. The paper is divided into two parts, The first Dart discusses the per formance parameters that are relevant to the design of downconversion mixer s, and how they affect the system performance. The second part presents thr ee common kinds of miser topologies, namely, unbalanced, single-balanced, a nd double-balanced designs. This paper concentrates on active mixers only. The advantages and disadvantages, as well as the design and optimization te chniques for the three kinds of mixers, are discussed.