A 22-GHz-band low-noise down-converter for satellite broadcast receivers

A simple low-cost and high-performance 22 GHz band down-converter developed for a direct-to-home satellite broadcasting system is discussed. The down-converter consists of a low-noise high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) preamplifier, an image recovery mixer with a particular structure using dielectric resonator filters, a 21.4 GHz GaAs FET oscillator stabilized by a dielectric resonator, and an IF amplifier. These components are fully integrating using microwave integrated circuit technology into a small size. A total noise figure of less than 2.8 dB is obtained over the 22.5-23.0 GHz frequency range. The local oscillator achieves a frequency variation of less than 600 kHz_p-p over a temperature range of -20° to +60°C