Search RFCafe.com                           
      More Than 18,000 Unique Pages
Please support my efforts by ADVERTISING!
Serving a Pleasant Blend of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow™
Vintage Magazines
Electronics World
Popular Electronics
Radio & TV News
QST | Pop Science
Popular Mechanics
Radio-Craft
Radio-Electronics
Short Wave Craft
Electronics | OFA
Saturday Eve Post
Please Support My Advertisers!
 
  Formulas & Data
Electronics | RF
Mathematics
Mechanics | Physics
 About | Sitemap
Homepage Archive
        Resources
Articles, Forums Calculators, Radar
Magazines, Museum
Radio Service Data
Software, Videos
     Entertainment
Crosswords, Humor Cogitations, Podcast
Quotes, Quizzes
   Parts & Services
1000s of Listings
Software: RF Cascade Workbook | Espresso Engineering Workbook
RF Stencils for Visio | RF Symbols for Visio
RF Symbols for Office | Cafe Press
Aegis Power | Alliance Test | Centric RF | Empower RF | ISOTEC | Reactel | RFCT | San Fran Circuits
PCB Directory (Manufacturers)

Amplifier Solutions Corporation (ASC) - RF Cafe

everythingRF RF & Microwave Parts Database (h1)

Please Support RF Cafe by purchasing my  ridiculously low-priced products, all of which I created.

RF Cascade Workbook for Excel

RF & Electronics Symbols for Visio

RF & Electronics Symbols for Office

RF & Electronics Stencils for Visio

RF Workbench

T-Shirts, Mugs, Cups, Ball Caps, Mouse Pads

These Are Available for Free

Espresso Engineering Workbook™

Smith Chart™ for Excel

Windfreak Technologies Frequency Synthesizers - RF Cafe

Microwave Mixer Technology and Applications
Answers to RF Cafe Quiz #54

RF Engineering Quizzes - RF CafeAll RF Cafe Quizzes make great fodder for employment interviews for technicians or engineers - particularly those who are fresh out of school or are relatively new to the work world. Come to think of it, they would make equally excellent study material for the same persons who are going to be interviewed for a job. Bonne chance, Viel Glück, がんばろう, buena suerte, удачи, in bocca al lupo, 행운을 빕니다, ádh mór, בהצלחה, lykke til, 祝你好運. Well, you know what I mean: Good luck!

Click here for the complete list of RF Cafe Quizzes.

Note: Some material based on books have quoted passages.

Return to RF Cafe Quiz #54

Microwave Mixer Technology and Applications (Artech House Microwave Library) - RF Cafe QuizThis quiz is based on the information presented in Microwave Mixer Technology and Applications, by Bert Henderson and Edmar Camargo.

Note: Some of these books are available as prizes in the monthly RF Cafe Giveaway.

1.  What is the name given to a receiver circuit whose oscillator circuit is biased just shy of the oscillation point in order to increase signal sensitivity?

d)  Regenerative

Positive feedback in the oscillator circuit is adjusted to be just below the point of excitation so that a very small received signal sends it into oscillation for use in the downconversion and detection circuitry.  (see page 9)

2.  What is the name given to a mixer configuration that cancels out received signal frequencies that are equidistant from the oscillator frequency as the intended signal, but on the opposite side of the oscillator; i.e., on the opposite equivalent sideband?

a)  Image reject

If the intended received frequency is f1 and the oscillator frequency if fLO, then the multiplication (mixing) process (not including harmonics) produces, in the example of a high-side LO, fLO + f1 and fLO - f1 . If f2 = fLO + (fLO + f1) = 2fLO + f1, then it is the same distance above fLO as f1 is below fLO. Now, substituting f2 into the f1 mixing products yields fLO + f2 and fLO - f2 = fLO + (2fLO + f1) and fLO - (2fLO + f1) = 3fLO - f1 and fLO + f1. Note that the fLO + f1 term is that exact same as the original f1 products. Hence, it produces the same output frequency. That is why it is called the image frequency.  (see page 37)

Error Vector Magnitude Drawing - RF Cafe

3.  What is Error Vector Magnitude (EVM)?

c)  The difference between the expected vector magnitude and the measured vector magnitude.

As the drawing to the right shows, the Error Vector is the difference between the ideal vector end point (line V) and the measured vector end point (line Vm).  (see page 67)

4.  What is a "cold FET?"

d)  A FET circuit without DC bias

An example of a cold FET is one used in a frequency mixer circuit where all ports are AC coupled.  (see page 140)

5.  Why might a Lange coupler be preferred over a 3 dB hybrid coupler?

c)  Wider bandwidth for impedance matching

The physical construction and phasing of its rectangular construction limits the wavelength over which a 3 dB hybrid coupler provides a good impedance match.  (see page 222)

6.  What are mixer spurious products comprised of?

c)  Large signal LO and small signal RF inputs

The LO (local oscillator) signal is at high enough power to quickly drive the mixer diodes into saturation during the "on" portion of the cycle while the RF input signal are kept within the more linear conduction region of the diodes.  (see page 299)

7.  Why does the mechanism of noise generation in a mixer differ than that of an amplifier?

a)  Because the device parameters vary in time in response to the LO signal

The large signal LO drive causes the mixer to constantly move through the full operating range of the semiconductor junctions.  (see page 450)

8.  Why does a cascode amplifier provide higher gain than a single stage?

c)  Because of higher output impedance and higher reverse isolation

The cascode topology also offers a higher frequency of operation due to a reduction in the equivalent input capacitance.  (see page 457)

Triply-Balanced Ring Mixer Schematic - RF CafeTriply-Balanced Star Mixer Schematic - RF Cafe9.  What is the equivalent of a triply-balanced mixer?

b)  Combination of two doubly balanced mixers

A triply-balanced mixer is comprised of two doubly-balanced mixer in parallel, connected between baluns at each port, as shown in drawing to the right.  (see page 322)

10.  What is a major advantage of the Gilbert cell topology?

d)  It multiplies the input and output currents to avoid improve linearity

d)  It multiplies the input and output currents to avoid improve linearity

The Gilbert cell uses transistors to provide current gain for avoiding voltage limitations and thereby improving linearity.  (see page 480)

 

Windfreak Technologies Frequency Synthesizers - RF Cafe
Anatech Electronics RF Microwave Filters - RF Cafe

Rigol DHO1000 Oscilloscope - RF Cafe

Exodus Advanced Communications Best in Class RF Amplifier SSPAs