Patent ID: 7881681

Claim:
A merged converting/steering device having a first mode for operating as a variable gain amplifier, and a second mode for operating as a mixer, said device comprising: a load stage for providing a load; a mixing stage having a LO/DC input pair for inputting a local oscillator signal and a DC bias signal, a first signal input pair for inputting an input signal, and a first signal output pair connected to said load stage, said mixing stage modulating the input signal with said local oscillator signal when activated; and an amplifying stage having a control input pair for inputting control signals, a second signal input pair connected with said first signal input pair to be as a single signal input pair, a power supply input connected to a power source, and a second signal output pair connected with said first signal output pair to be as a single signal output pair, said amplifying stage steering the input signal with a gain depending on said control signals when activated, wherein by controlling said DC bias signal and said control signals, the mixing stage is disactivated and the amplifying stage is activated for the first mode, and the mixing stage is activated for the second mode.