Distortion performance of single-balanced diode modulators

The techniques of switching-function analysis are used to extend previous work on the intermodultion and crossmodulation-distortion properties of the ring modulator to include the single-balanced series and shunt configurations. The influence of the local-oscillator source impedance is considered, and excellent agreement is demonstrated between the predicted 3rd-order intermodulation performance of two single-balanced circuits and results obtained for experimental modulators using Schottky-barrier diodes.