Termination insensitive mixers

Microwave mixers are non-linear devices that are used to translate one segment of the frequency spectrum to another portion of the frequency spectrum without distorting the signals in the respective segment. Undistorted frequency translation, a key factor in designing most complex microwave systems, has improved over the years with the advent of balanced, double balanced, and triple balanced mixers but is still elusive because they do not adequately address the mixer as a matched building block in the system design. This paper describes a mixer configuration that not only utilizes the most advanced techniques of linear frequency translation but in addition improves the VSWR on all signal ports to enhance the predictability and performance in an actual system environment. A theoretical analysis of this technique is presented along with actual data verifying the expected improvements.