FIND IT JOE

Find It Joe- Tired of the endless "stuff" when you search? A user asked how a mixer works? A mixer uses the signal from the Local Oscillator (LO) and combines it with Radio Frequency signal (RF) to get the following set of frequencies RF+LO and RF-LO.The mixer can be used to up convert a signal (make a low frequency signal to a high frequency signal) or down convert (make a high frequency signal to a low frequency signal). Example: if the RF signal is at 18 GHz and you mix it with a (LO) of 17.9 GHz you will get 35.9 GHz and 100 MHz. In selecting a quality mixer many engineers prefer a low conversion loss. A conversion loss is the loss from the RF to the output of the mixer at the IF (intermediate frequency). Since there are 2 signals no conversion can be less than 3dB. Isolation is important from the different ports. You do not want the LO to broadcast through the antenna.