Pasternack has announced a new line of IQ mixers operating in the radio frequency (RF) and local oscillator (LO) bands from 4GHz to 38GHz

     Pasternack, Inc., an industry-leading supplier of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has announced six new IQ mixers that operate in the radio frequency (RF) and local oscillator (LO) bands from 4GHz to 38GHz with synchronous and orthogonal intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths from DC to 4.5GHz. Typical uses for these mixers include point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radios, very small aperture terminals (VSAT), military radar, electronic warfare (EW), satellite communications, sensors, and test and measurement equipment.

     The new IQ mixer module consists of a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) based assembly using a highly reliable Gallium arsenide (GaAs) metal semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) semiconductor process consisting of a pair of matched double-balanced mixer units, a 90-degree bridge, and a 0-degree splitter/synthesizer. Integration at these levels provides size and performance advantages over discrete modular assemblies. By adding the external 90 degree IF bridge module, such IQ mixers can be configured as either image rejection mixers or single sideband conversion mixers. Image suppression and sideband suppression eliminate the need for pre-selected filtering, thereby reducing the overall cost and complexity of the system.

     When used as an image rejection mixer (IRM), the IQ mixer includes the following performance characteristics: low frequency conversion loss of 7.5~10dBm; Typical image rejection up to 35dB; Typical local to RF isolation of up to 42dB; Excellent linearity of typical input 1dB compression point up to +20dB and typical input IP3 up to +35dB; +15~+19dBm driving power of local oscillator.

     These products are available in a fully hermetically sealed plug-in Kovar™ metal package, which is plated with nickel in gold and supports field replaceable SMA connectors. In addition, all of the above products are RoHS compliant EAR99 type products and are guaranteed to meet MIL-STD-883 fine leakage and temperature cycle environmental test conditions.

     "Our extensive new line of IQ mixers provides designers with six new products with great value in a variety of uses including image rejection and single sideband conversion. Typically, such products require extremely long lead times. In contrast, all six of Pasternack's products are in stock and can be shipped the same day." Tim Galla, Active Devices Product Manager at Pasternack, explains.