Abstract: An image reject mixer arrangement 1 comprises a transconductor 2, first and second mixer cores 3 and 4, first and second phase shifters 5 and 6 and a summer or combiner 7. The mixer arrangement 1 receives a single-ended RF voltage signal on a terminal 8, a differential local oscillator signal on I-LO terminals indicated at 9 and a 90° phase shifted differential local oscillator signal on Q-LO terminals 10, and provides differential IF output signals on output terminals 11. From the output of the transconductor 2 to the output of the combiner 7, the image reject mixer arrangement 1 carries signals in what can be described as a “current mode”, i.e. it is the current, not the voltage, which conveys the desired signal. In this current mode, it is advantageous to provide each active circuit block with a high output impedance and a low input impedance wherever possible.

Abstract: Circuit 200 comprises an input amplifier stage 290, phase-splitters 292, 293 and mixer cores 294, 295. An input signal is applied to terminal 220, a local oscillator signal applied to terminals 230, 231 and a 90° shifted local oscillator signal is applied to terminals 232, 233. The In-phase differential signal is output at terminals 240, 241 and the quadrature signal is output at terminals 240, 233. Phase-splitters 292, 293 comprise base-coupled transistors 202, 203, 205, 206 which are biased by a potential applied to terminal 262. As these phase-splitters are driven by input amplifier stage 290, which acts as a current source, the arrangement has very good noise properties. Degeneration inductor 280 reduces the noise figure of the circuit further because it is a noiseless component.

Abstract: Mixer circuit 300 receives a single-ended rf voltage signal on terminal 330 and a bias potential on terminal 361. Transistor 301 functions as a transconductance amplifier and presents a current signal, representative of the input voltage signal, to mixer core 391. Inductor 310 provides noiseless degeneration in the base-emitter circuit of transistor 301. Local oscillator driver 393 is configured such that its common mode output impedance is higher than the input impedance of transistors 305 and 306. In this way, phase splitting is carried out within the mixer core 391 itself and less transistors are needed. Mixer circuit 300 thereby requires less voltage headroom than prior art mixers.