Balanced subharmonic mixers for retrodirective-array applications

Citation
T. Brabetz et al., Balanced subharmonic mixers for retrodirective-array applications, IEEE MICR T, 49(3), 2001, pp. 465-469
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Eletrical & Eletronics Engineeing
Journal title
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES
ISSN journal
00189480 → ACNP
Volume
49
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
465 - 469
Database
ISI
SICI code
0018-9480(200103)49:3<465:BSMFRA>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
The drawback of conventional Pon retrodirective antenna systems is the requ irement of a local oscillator (LO) working at approximately twice the recei ve frequency. This limits the use of these systems to rather moderate frequ encies where such an oscillator can be obtained, To overcome this problem, a new phase conjugate mixer topology is proposed, whereby the use of a harm onic mixer instead of the conventional fundamental type effectively halves the LO frequency requirement. Another significant problem of conventional P on phase conjugate mixers is the small spacing in frequency, typically only a few 0.1% of the carrier frequency, between RF, LF, and LO frequency. In this paper, we have overcome this problem by introducing a double balanced structure with a novel phasing strategy. The phasing circuit automatically cancels the RF and LO signal at the system's output port, giving 36-dB RF/I F, and 34-dB LO/IF isolation for a 970-MHz IF and 990-MHz RF signal. The ne w mixer structure proposed here is an attractive proposition for use in ret rodirective antenna arrays significantly enhancing their potential for appl ication in the millimeter-wave frequency range.