HMC686LP4ETR RF/IF and RFID

RF Mixers

RF mixers, commonly referred to as harmonic mixers, are electronic components that can mix two or more signals together to form a new signal. The HMC686LP4ETR is one such component, belonging to the 6th-order mixer family.It offers excellent performance and a wide operating frequency range of from dc – 40 GHz. In addition, the HMC686LP4ETR features a low-noise figure, low conversion loss, and high linearity. All these features make the device suitable for various RF applications.

Application Field

The HMC686LP4ETR mixer is able to support many different applications. Primarily it is used for radio frequency (RF) signal reception and transmission. For example, this device is suitable for high-lunarity frequency divider, up or down mixers, frequency synthesiser, IQ modulation and more. It has been employed for point-to-point microwave link radios, broadband satellite and terrestrial microwave communications, as well as 3G and 4G mobile networks.

Working Principle

In essence, the HMC686LP4ETR mixer is a nonlinear device, where one input drives a fundamental frequency to generate a new frequency at the output. By combining multiple signals at different frequencies, the combined signal can contain components of both input signals as well as new frequencies, such as the sum and difference frequencies. This provides a way to process and transmit various signals over multiple frequency channels.

The procedure begins by converting an input signal into an IF or intermediate signal. This signal is then amplified and fed into the mixer. The mixer combines the input signal with a local oscillation (LO) signal. The LO signal can be used to multiply or divide the input signal frequency, thus producing an output signal with a different frequency. This output signal is then filtered and passed to the next stage for further processing.

Conclusion

The HMC686LP4ETR is a high-performance, wide-range RF mixer that is suitable for a variety of applications, such as radio frequency communication, high-lunarity frequency dividers, up or down mixers, frequency synthesisers and IQ modulation. With its low-noise figure, low conversion loss and high linearity, the HMC686LP4ETR is the perfect choice for many RF applications.