Patent ID: 8232831
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: H03D

Abstract:
1. A mixer circuit device comprising: a Gilbert cell mixer stage for multiplying a first signal received at an input by a second signal to provide an output signal; and a plurality of input/gain stages, each input/gain stage having its output connected to the input of the mixer stage and for receiving a differential input signal and applying a gain factor to that differential input signal to provide the first signal, wherein each input/gain stage is configured with stage select circuitry for enabling or disabling that stage, and wherein each of the input/gain stages includes a differential transistor pair for receiving said differential input signal and that is biased using the corresponding stage select circuitry, and the differential transistor pair of a first of the input/gain stages is implemented with a first transistor technology for providing the corresponding gain factor and the differential transistor pair of a second of the input/gain stages is implemented with a second transistor technology for providing the corresponding gain factor, the second transistor technology being different from the first transistor technology and wherein one of the first or second transistor technologies allows the mixer circuit to have higher output intercept points than the other of the first or second transistor technologies.