To provide a mixer and a semiconductor device which each have a small circuit area and each of which operation capability is inhibited from being decreased due to heat. The mixer includes a differential portion, a current source, a first load, an input terminal, and a first output terminal; the differential portion includes a first and a second transistor; and each of the first and the second transistors includes a metal oxide in a channel formation region. A first terminal of each of the first and the second transistors is electrically connected to the input terminal and a current source and a second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the first load and the first output terminal. The first load has a function of supplying a current between the first terminal and a second terminal of the first load by application of voltage to the second terminal of the first load, and the current source has a function of supplying a constant current to the current source from the first terminal of each of the first and the second transistors. The current source includes a transistor including silicon in a channel formation region, and the differential portion is positioned above the current source.

An electronic device may include a harmonic rejection mixer with a delay line, mixer array, and load. The delay line may generate LO phases. Each mixer in the array may have a first input that receives an LO phase and a second input coupled to an input switch and the first input of the next mixer circuit through an inter-mixer switch. The load may include a set of switches. In a transmit mode, the input switches and set of switches may be closed while the inter-mixer switches are open. In a self-calibration mode, the input switches and set of switches may be open while the inter-mixer switches are closed. A controller may sweep through phase codes for the programmable delay line while storing a digital output from the load. The controller may calibrate the phase code based on the digital output.

An electronic circuit including: a differential multiplier circuit with a first differential input and a second differential input and a differential output; and a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit including: (1) a balanced differential mixer circuit with a first differential input electrically connected to the differential output of the differential multiplier circuit, a second differential input, and an output; (2) a loop filter having an output and an input electrically connected to the output of the balanced differential mixer circuit; and (3) a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit having an input electrically connected to the output of the loop filter and with an output electrically feeding back to the second differential input of the balanced differential mixer circuit.

An electronic device may include a harmonic rejection mixer with a delay line, mixer array, and load. The delay line may generate LO phases. Each mixer in the array may have a first input that receives an LO phase and a second input coupled to an input switch and the first input of the next mixer circuit through an inter-mixer switch. The load may include a set of switches. In a transmit mode, the input switches and set of switches may be closed while the inter-mixer switches are open. In a self-calibration mode, the input switches and set of switches may be open while the inter-mixer switches are closed. A controller may sweep through phase codes for the programmable delay line while storing a digital output from the load. The controller may calibrate the phase code based on the digital output.

An active mixer for frequency conversion used in a wireless communication system improves conversion gain and noise figure by improving switching characteristics of a mixer using a LO signal without requiring additional power consumption of an active mixer block. Further disclosed is a method for improving conversion gain and noise figure of an active mixer. The active mixer includes a switching stage for receiving a LO signal and selectively performing a switching-on/off operation for frequency conversion, a body signal generator for generating a body signal to be applied to a body of an NMOS transistor of the switching stage based on the LO signal, and a voltage controller for controlling the body signal generator to selectively apply the body signal to the body of the NMOS transistor based on to the switching-on/off operation of the switching stage to control a threshold voltage of the transistor of the switching stage.

An electronic device may include a harmonic rejection mixer with a delay line, mixer array, and load. The delay line may generate LO phases. Each mixer in the array may have a first input that receives an LO phase and a second input coupled to an input switch and the first input of the next mixer circuit through an inter-mixer switch. The load may include a set of switches. In a transmit mode, the input switches and set of switches may be closed while the inter-mixer switches are open. In a self-calibration mode, the input switches and set of switches may be open while the inter-mixer switches are closed. A controller may sweep through phase codes for the programmable delay line while storing a digital output from the load. The controller may calibrate the phase code based on the digital output.

Differential mixer circuitry comprising: first and second input-voltage nodes and first and second input-current nodes; a passive network of impedances connected between the first and second input-voltage nodes and the first and second input-current nodes, and configured to convert first and second input-voltage signals received at the first and second input-voltage nodes, respectively, into first and second input-current signals provided at the first and second input-current nodes, respectively, the first and second input-voltage signals defining a differential input-voltage signal having an input frequency, and the first and second input-current signals defining a differential input-current signal; and a mixing stage configured to mix the differential input-current signal with at least one mixing signal having a corresponding mixing frequency and output a differential output signal having an output frequency dependent on the input frequency and each mixing frequency.

An embodiment integrated electronic device comprises a mixer module including a voltage/current transconductor stage including first transistors and connected to a mixing stage including second transistors, wherein the mixing stage includes a resistive degeneration circuit connected to the sources of the second transistors and a calibration input connected to the gates of the second transistors and intended to receive an adjustable calibration voltage, and the sources of the first transistors are directly connected to a cold power supply point.

Differential mixer circuitry comprising: first and second input-voltage nodes and first and second input-current nodes; a passive network of impedances connected between the first and second input-voltage nodes and the first and second input-current nodes, and configured to convert first and second input-voltage signals received at the first and second input-voltage nodes, respectively, into first and second input-current signals provided at the first and second input-current nodes, respectively, the first and second input-voltage signals defining a differential input-voltage signal having an input frequency, and the first and second input-current signals defining a differential input-current signal; and a mixing stage configured to mix the differential input-current signal with at least one mixing signal having a corresponding mixing frequency and output a differential output signal having an output frequency dependent on the input frequency and each mixing frequency.

An electronic circuit including: a differential multiplier circuit with a first differential input and a second differential input and a differential output; and a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit including: (1) a balanced differential mixer circuit with a first differential input electrically connected to the differential output of the differential multiplier circuit, a second differential input, and an output; (2) a loop filter having an output and an input electrically connected to the output of the balanced differential mixer circuit; and (3) a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit having an input electrically connected to the output of the loop filter and with an output electrically feeding back to the second differential input of the balanced differential mixer circuit.