#83: Basics of RF Mixers in Radio Receivers / Mixer Tutorial / Frequency Conversion

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  • Опубликовано: 22 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 423

  • @bmac3933
    @bmac3933 2 года назад +20

    I have to say that your videos are so informative and useful for a budding electrical engineer. I feel my professors skipped past many of the detailed explanations you've provided and you've really helped fill in the gaps. Cheers!

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  2 года назад +4

      Thank you!

  • @kenanshobbies9970
    @kenanshobbies9970 2 года назад +14

    Finally!! An explanation of a mixer that I can understand. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALAN!! Great video; as are all your other videos!!

  • @tomsmith3045
    @tomsmith3045 Год назад +4

    This is a great demo. Seeing the time and frequency domain together, and with the unfiltered and filtered mix response is perfect.

  • @allwaysofcontending
    @allwaysofcontending Год назад +4

    Dude your the man. My god this is so good. As a recent engineer new to the field the level of education you offer is just superb. 14 minutes of video bringing so many concepts to life. Well done!

  • @slithytoaves8637
    @slithytoaves8637 5 лет назад +30

    Great video. Showing the mixer output helps greatly in understanding the function of not just the mixer, but the functions of the filters. I've seen a number of these type of videos describing receiver systems, but nobody has shown the concepts so clearly and concisely. Thanks!!

  • @Beulzabob
    @Beulzabob 11 лет назад +1

    I'm with James here. This video clarified so much on IF that eluded me previously. Thanks so much. Wish the other explanations I encountered had so much detail and clarity!

  • @Afrotechmods
    @Afrotechmods 11 лет назад +29

    Everything you do is awesome.

    • @snasturbate1087
      @snasturbate1087 3 года назад +5

      you are absolutely right. I am sorry to necro this old comment. But thanks to you 2 guys and a few others ( Mr. Carlson's lab, Necroware etc. ) for the past 2 years I have developped myself enough in electronics, to be hired as a tech, passed my Ham license, and I am on the verge of starting my own repair company ( july 2022 .... in theory ) Huge thanks, we need more people like you guys, you are drivers of changes. much love!!

  • @allenmccarty
    @allenmccarty Год назад +1

    You covered 100 pages in Art of Electronics in 10 minutes, and I got it, tnx

  • @jampskan5690
    @jampskan5690 Год назад +1

    So that's how that works. Thank you for the clear explanation with visual examples.

  • @viswatess
    @viswatess 8 лет назад

    Only hands on experienced guys can able to give clear explanation like you. Thanks for doing. Please continue your good work.

  • @jspencerg
    @jspencerg 11 месяцев назад +1

    A masterpiece of demonstration and explanation. Your notes are the best.

  • @robbowman8770
    @robbowman8770 10 лет назад +39

    Great video - really concise explanations. Perfect for a lapsed engineer like me who was never an rf expert in the first place. I'm enjoying refreshing my rf knowledge these days so that was great.

  • @kanagarajpalanivel8271
    @kanagarajpalanivel8271 3 года назад

    Great video.I am a physician MD from India.Amidst Covid-19 very interesting.Clearly shown Lo , RFin, IF out, various spurious waves and way of tuning by mixer. Clear use of 10.7 ceramic filter.Again Thanks

  • @patrickoneillnl1966
    @patrickoneillnl1966 2 года назад +1

    Oh my God I love your videos. Your block diagrams give such great insight as to the flow of signal and how it is changed. Then your equipment shows how we can look at those signals being changed. Finally, you provided a great explanation as to how a band pass filter can help the mixer not have to create an IF from two incoming RF signals. Excellent!

  • @MrTysonjharris
    @MrTysonjharris 8 лет назад +17

    Phenomenal video, thank you. I watched no less than 20 videos on super heterodyning until I arrived at yours and then the concept became clear as to what the role of my 6A7 pentagrid converter is. Thank you for Sharing your expertise.

  • @radoslawbiernacki
    @radoslawbiernacki 2 года назад +1

    Wahhhh sir this was better than all my school rf lesson's!

  • @shravan8848
    @shravan8848 6 лет назад

    Been reading a RF Microelectronics book only to fall half asleep. Thank you for the video. It's very illustrative and intriguing.

  • @jackrippah
    @jackrippah 7 лет назад +14

    Thanks for all the great work you did on this video... Setting up the lab, showing the schematic with a clear and slow narration of each in conjunction with the other which produces a crystal clear, Sin and Cos free explanation of how an RF mixer works. Thanks!

  • @omsingharjit
    @omsingharjit 2 года назад

    you are at the top of Explaining RF Electronic and Radio Communication in Easy way

  • @dr.rezwanurrahman336
    @dr.rezwanurrahman336 5 лет назад +2

    Really a great video. I did it in my graduate school and then moved to server design engineering. Through this demonstrations, I can brush up some of my microwave/RF design knowledge. Thank you much!

  • @johnwest7993
    @johnwest7993 2 года назад

    I've been watching and reading enough radio theory that I watched this introduction to mixers and didn't actually learn anything. I appear to have graduated from the "Basics of" videos. :) It's time to watch some of your more advanced videos. I'm learning. Thank you.

  • @tmiller9099
    @tmiller9099 Год назад +1

    Great demonstration.

  • @imboredsauce
    @imboredsauce 9 лет назад +3

    I recently got into electronics and your videos help more then ever. I love the way you create your videos.

  • @Jjacobs1986
    @Jjacobs1986 11 лет назад

    GREAT VIDEO. I'm a COM/NAV Avionics troop for the Air Force. Also an Electrical Engineer major. Just found your channel and I feel like I just struck gold. PLEASE keep pumping these videos out. Don't be afraid to get more and more advanced either. Although I knew a good bit of this stuff, I still learned a lot. THANK YOU!!

  • @JohnRaschedian
    @JohnRaschedian 6 лет назад

    Very valuable presentation! I could not get much of the details but the set-up alone teaches a lot, probably worth 500 pages of a book you would never get in the first place. Thank you Alan!

  • @yetijetn6360
    @yetijetn6360 2 года назад

    Thank you for showing the waves on the oscillator that show the various possible frequency images. I was having trouble visualizing what was really going on from the words in theory.

  • @microreniassance2929
    @microreniassance2929 2 года назад

    Great video. Working an SX117 trying to get it tuned up after suggested circuitry upgrades. Still grappling with all of the details around SuperHet receivers and how the LO and the Fin come together in the mixer creating numerous product frequencies that come to bear on the IF filter and the filtered output results. Still confused on some aspects but with the help of your great videos, I'm getting there! Thanks again.

  • @g0fvt
    @g0fvt 10 лет назад

    Another excellent video, you have obviously taken time to build some excellent test rigs. You mention that you may do a video on PLLs, I am sure that would be excellent too, though probably easier to demonstrate on an old CB radio or similar rather than build a test rig from scratch.
    Many years ago I was mystified by the operation of a Huff and Puff stabiliser, it was a circuit for a homebrew amateur project. Years later I was working on an HS400 frequency generator and suddenly the penny dropped as to how a Huff and Puff stabiliser worked. A poor mans PLL!
    I have been an rf engineer and hobbyist for a very long time, but watching your videos is still a great way to get another take on things.
    To the beginners in the subject I would encourage you to watch the videos closely, this is good information presented really well.

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  10 лет назад

      I did make a video on the basics of PLLs. Here's the link:
      Basics of Phase Locked Loop Circuits and Frequency Synthesis

  • @ChrisWilson5006
    @ChrisWilson5006 11 лет назад

    Truly excellent, I have more of a grasp of IF functionality after this video than after reading umpteen text based explanations. Brilliant, and many thanks for turning on the light at full brightness :)

  • @gabramlet
    @gabramlet 7 лет назад +2

    One of the best explanations I've heard. Thank you so much for your videos you are a great teacher.

    • @gabramlet
      @gabramlet 7 лет назад

      I enjoy all your videos you have a gift for teaching electronics

  • @SeAfasia
    @SeAfasia 3 года назад

    Read all intructions again and again.....as lesson....thanks for posting Alan...Dinos

  • @1946Valentino
    @1946Valentino 8 лет назад

    Congratulations for your clear, very very clear explanation and excelent demonstration. I loved to know the Tektronics MDO4104 time and frequency domain. Back in the 70's i used to work with spectrum analyzer. I am an electronics engineer in Brazil.

  • @WR5RR
    @WR5RR 11 лет назад

    Very nice demo and explanation Alan. I know how the rf circuits work but it's nice to see the thory explained and see the changes visualy on the scope. Lot of work to put this video together thanks.
    Ron

  • @robertjohansen7482
    @robertjohansen7482 10 лет назад

    Another very good tutorial Alan, 73 Bob Johansen. It was good talking with you at the NJARC swapmeet

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  10 лет назад

      Hi Bob - yes, good to see you too at NJARC. Thanks for watching!

  • @bblackdogg4352
    @bblackdogg4352 3 года назад

    Thank You so much, Alan. I have repaired many vintage amps but always come to a dead stop on the tuner sections. I just picked up the required UHF test equipment and I'M GOING IN. Mini spectrum analyzer with NF probe and UHF SG. Have a Marantz 2220b with no stereo lock. Might just be in the MPX demodulator or IF amp but I want to see it all! What a great video!

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  2 года назад

      Did you see my recent video on how a superheterodyne receive works?

  • @samcutler5983
    @samcutler5983 3 года назад +2

    This clears up so much for me. Thank you. The one thing I don't quite understand is how to choose an amplitude or RMS value for the LO. I understand that if we want an IF freq of 455kHz, then the difference between F(LO) and F(RF) should be 455kHz. But how do we decide what the peak-to-peak voltage of the LO signal should be?

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  3 года назад +2

      That depends entirely on the design of the mixer. The specs for the mixer will state the LO drive power. Often times, mixers are called Level-n, such as Level-7 or Level-13, indicating that they want a 7dBm or 13dBm drive level.

    • @samcutler5983
      @samcutler5983 3 года назад +1

      @@w2aew Interesting. Can't seem to find anything on the NXP SA606 datasheet. I'll keep looking around.

  • @lawrencejelsma8118
    @lawrencejelsma8118 Год назад

    Excellent video on Mixer IC NE602 chips to understand how they work in RF analog designs. 👍 After the amplifier of the antenna signal I'll see the mixer around there also.

  • @octavmandru9219
    @octavmandru9219 6 лет назад +1

    Alan, thank you. You really have a beautiful way to explain electronics

  • @erickrivera5894
    @erickrivera5894 11 лет назад

    I never comment videos, but this one deserve it. Excellent explanation and setup. Totally Like.

  • @kevinbyrne4538
    @kevinbyrne4538 10 лет назад

    I was very impressed when you switched the ceramic filter into the mixer's output. The other mixer products just vanished.

  • @DavidGillooly
    @DavidGillooly 11 лет назад

    Excellent video and use of real signals and filtering to explain the topic. I wish I had seen this type of explanation in my EE education long long ago!

  • @jonathanbignall1198
    @jonathanbignall1198 7 лет назад

    Very helpful video, your clear explanations are really helping me to better understand concepts which I hadn't entirely grasped before. Thanks a lot.

  • @valentinobergamofilho4330
    @valentinobergamofilho4330 2 года назад

    I am from Brazil.Excellent video showing theory and practice! I loved your ressources, specially the scope with mixed domain! Congrats!

  • @ggattsr
    @ggattsr 11 лет назад

    Thanks so much for the time and effort and thought that you put into your videos. Topics that I thought I understood are made so much clearer. Your schematics, and outlines are so concise yet easy to understand. You have a "gift" for teaching. Thanks for sharing it.

  • @Arijit_VU3ICT
    @Arijit_VU3ICT 3 года назад +2

    Wow... Lots of respect to your work... Thank you sir... Please make video on what is BFO and how it is used to decode cw and ssb signal..

    • @Arijit_VU3ICT
      @Arijit_VU3ICT 3 года назад

      Sir plz make a video on bfo's working.... Please sir..and why it is used? With this type of practical demonstration...

  • @joem5386
    @joem5386 4 года назад

    Very well done. Easy to understand and follow. Including the test equipment along with the schematics really helped with understanding. Thanks!

  • @RichardHayes
    @RichardHayes 7 лет назад

    Excellent presentation, explanation, and demonstration. It really makes the concepts clear.

  • @ivanblogs
    @ivanblogs 11 лет назад

    Thanks. I've been aware of RF mixers, but never understood the basics. Tweaking the LO while watching the IF spectrum really made it clear how they relate. I'd love to see example filtered IF waveforms against AMed input ~ and limits of AM freq vs carrier.

  • @nThanksForAllTheFish
    @nThanksForAllTheFish 11 лет назад

    You certainly have a gift for teaching. Thank you - and if you had a 'donate' button, I'd hit it.

  • @acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE
    @acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE 4 года назад

    This is a really good video! I'm pretty much a beginner, you explained mixers so well I got it first time. Thank-you!

  • @youtubeaccount931
    @youtubeaccount931 Год назад +1

    Great video for me learning this stuff. I looked up that ceramic filter, so I take it with their wider bandwidth relative to a crystal you wouldn't use them as an IF filter for narrow band applications like SSB? Or are there other stages downstream where using the ceramic filter would be appropriate. Thanks for the knowledge

  • @viswatess
    @viswatess 8 лет назад

    Excellent explanation about the mixer products with practical lab test results. Great job sir. Thanks.

  • @anthonydelarosa9367
    @anthonydelarosa9367 10 лет назад +1

    Thanks for your time to make this presentation. It was very helpful.

  • @colinpamplin9976
    @colinpamplin9976 7 лет назад

    very good video. Using the spectrum analyser made it all become clear. Thank you for taking the time to make this video

  • @Babaluuable
    @Babaluuable 9 лет назад +5

    Excellent video, simple yet incredibly clarifying. Thank you so much!

  • @emi22n
    @emi22n 9 лет назад

    I like how you make it sound so easy.you're a great teacher.

  • @binarybox.binarybox
    @binarybox.binarybox 3 года назад

    Very well demonstrated and explaining image frequencies.

  • @ELJORGE1
    @ELJORGE1 11 лет назад

    Great video as always, i learn a lot from these. A lot of this i get at university but theres no teacher like you, very nice practical examples. Thank you!

  • @TheMultiplexer
    @TheMultiplexer 3 года назад +1

    Extremely good explanation and visualization! Saved it so I can watch it again :D

  • @patrickbouldinkm5l143
    @patrickbouldinkm5l143 3 года назад +3

    Alan, this was absolutely an awesome video - great setup for the explanation. KM5L

  • @intotheblue50
    @intotheblue50 5 лет назад

    Fascinating, I'm taking up SWL and will be revisiting this many times. Well planed out presentation and description, loved it thanks.

  • @chuckpool685
    @chuckpool685 6 лет назад

    Sir, you put a lot of work into this video. And, it was an outstanding educational presentation. Thank you. 73, Chuck - AA5WG

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  6 лет назад

      Thank you for your kind words, Chuck. I am happy that you enjoyed this video.

  • @mcie6306
    @mcie6306 Год назад +1

    Thanks great video 💙

  • @jimvashro2872
    @jimvashro2872 4 года назад

    thank you - great video, clear concise, and a great demonstration that was easy to follow but also included a tremendous amount of incite into the function of a mixer and the resultant IF signal. This answered my question about Heterodyning.

  • @slcea7
    @slcea7 4 года назад +2

    New ham here. I found this very educational. Thanks for the vid.

  • @billysdomain
    @billysdomain 11 лет назад +2

    Really great video Alan, would love to see more on matching, especially without using baluns/transformers, L's and C's would be a great tutorial

  • @mariosmith7760
    @mariosmith7760 10 лет назад

    as a novice I think this was easy to understand.well done

  • @thecombatengineer7069
    @thecombatengineer7069 5 лет назад

    binge watching all the circuit tutorials, trying to remember to like and comment on each as well

  • @siphentlangano3428
    @siphentlangano3428 7 лет назад +1

    great video, thank you very much Sir. I almost went down the way of ganged tuning of the LO, RF amp and mixer. I am actually working on such project for my final year design.

  • @mattmueggenberg9430
    @mattmueggenberg9430 7 лет назад

    This helps so much. I appreciate the example and the scope outputs as a demo. Thanks

  • @anuradhapriyankara5226
    @anuradhapriyankara5226 4 года назад

    Thank you man! Now I understand all the mathematics shits explained by my professor, just by looking at your video.

  • @watsok
    @watsok 6 лет назад +5

    Excellent presentation on the subject...like always. Thanks much.

  • @westikle
    @westikle 4 года назад

    A couple questions here...
    1. When I tune to a station, let's say 92.3, does that mean the radio station transmits at a different frequency?
    2. Are some of the intermods higher in power than the fundamentals? I was surprised to see that.
    Your content is the best on youtube btw!!! Hands down.

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  4 года назад

      Radio stations are strictly regulated, it is highly unlikely that their signal would include harmonics. Intermod products at the output of the mixer can be higher that the fundamental.

  • @chy6527
    @chy6527 10 лет назад +1

    After watching this video, I could understand how mixer works. Thanks.

  • @rishonka
    @rishonka 9 лет назад

    Thank you very much for all your video and sharing your knowledge with people! I've learned and still learning a lot from you!!!

  • @TheMixerDoctor
    @TheMixerDoctor 8 месяцев назад +1

    Excellent explanation and video, thank you.

  • @harisahmed5680
    @harisahmed5680 7 лет назад +2

    Thank you so much for your demonstration, Really helpful to understand the concept of SupHet Mixer

  • @jimg4247
    @jimg4247 3 года назад +2

    Thank you , such a clear and understandable description !

  • @aaronr.9644
    @aaronr.9644 7 лет назад

    Great stuff! I can't get enough of this channel. So good.

  • @jameswarner3599
    @jameswarner3599 4 года назад

    Excellent video, was exactly what I was looking for. Concise and clear with a demonstration. Can't sk for more!

  • @soonpaomeng
    @soonpaomeng 10 лет назад

    Best video on IF

  • @munirpatel3361
    @munirpatel3361 9 лет назад +1

    Amazing job! Informative yet easy to understand videos! Thanks a lot !

  • @RajaramSrinivasan59
    @RajaramSrinivasan59 3 года назад

    Hello! This is VU2RJV here with a huge thanks and genuine appreciation of this seminal video! Your clarity and ability to explain in a lucid way is just fantastic.
    May i request you to also tell us the various possible cases that can occur in designing the filter eg, you've explained two cases where RF-LO or LO-RF can occur depending on which frequency is greater. You've mentioned that the side band Inversion will occur. Can you explain the math? Also, could you please cover other cases as we go from a lower to higher RF and go across bands ? Thanks

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  3 года назад +1

      The mixer gives you the sum and difference frequencies between the input and the LO, as well as the harmonics components:
      So, the output will have:
      F(IN)+F(LO)
      F(IN)-F(LO) or F(LO)-F(IN), depending on which is greater
      and the harmonic combinations:
      nF(IN)+/-m(F(LO) or nF(LO)+/-mF(IN)

  • @dave-d
    @dave-d 7 лет назад +1

    Ah Ha! Finally. Been trying to get my head round this for ages. Thank you. Great explanation.

  • @adelmotlhabinyana7553
    @adelmotlhabinyana7553 6 лет назад

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Very excellent video to learn the basics.

  • @Aemilindore
    @Aemilindore 7 лет назад +2

    So grateful to you for producing this type of content. Don't really know how we can help you in return.

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  7 лет назад

      I'm happy that you see value in my content.

  • @drstrangelove09
    @drstrangelove09 2 года назад

    IMO, this video is more appropriate to the discussion of using the NE602 to modulate an audio signal to produce an AM signal that could be used to transmit. (Maybe I'm wrong...? And it is an excellent video!!) It would be cool, though, to see instead how the 602 would transform an input AM carrier plus audio for receive. How does the mixing function take an AM modulated signal, in the time domain and pull out the audio component? (Or does it?) (I ask all of this as an EE who studied this in college in the 70s and either have forgotten or never completely knew. The college presentation is to show the time domain explanation but what I would like to know is how does the mixer translate the received signal in the time domain. As I think about it it is not obvious to me how it would do it...?

  • @HughOBrien
    @HughOBrien 10 лет назад

    Thank you for taking the time to make this, it was a real help.

  • @ronkessler1599
    @ronkessler1599 Год назад +1

    Allan, another top-notch video. Thanks for making it. I have two questions: 1. I replicated your demo but I cannot get my 3 pin ceramic filter to pass the 10.7 signal and attenuate the remaining frequencies. Is there some trick to this? would love to see how you added it to the circuit. I can't make it out in the video.
    2. I am looking at my HeathKit FM tuner and it has a two-ganged tuner/variable-capacitor. From the schematic, it is filtering the RF and the other gang is changing the LO frequency. Since FM covers 88.1MHz -108.1MHz, doesn't the LO need to produce signals within the range of 98.7-118.7MHz so they are alway 10.7 apart? Doesn't my tuner work to adjust the LO so it is always 10.7 above the RF?
    Thanks in advance!!!!

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  Год назад

      No trick to the filter. It has an input and output pin (interchangable), and a common pin (ground, in the center). The LO frequency can be either 10.7MHz above the desired frequency, or 10.7MHz below the desired frequency. Either will work.

    • @ronkessler1599
      @ronkessler1599 Год назад

      @@w2aew Thanks! I will keep trying.

  • @DAVET38
    @DAVET38 11 лет назад

    Yet another very good video. I found it both interesting and greatly informative. Unfortunately we did not get as far as modulation operation, in a practical sense, in the electronic course I did. Thanks for this more practical video.

  • @tunicana
    @tunicana 11 лет назад

    Thank you Alan, you made my radio courses simple and easy

  • @th1alb
    @th1alb 6 лет назад

    one of the best explanations ever!

  • @MrPwrt
    @MrPwrt 9 лет назад +1

    Thanks for the helpful video. I'd really appreciate it if you can explain how the amplitude powers are calculated theoretically. For example, at 17.70 MHz the spectrum analyzer reads -50.9 dBm. I want to know how that value is found. Cheers

  • @ildabrando
    @ildabrando 11 месяцев назад

    FANTASTIC video, I'we seen it a lot of times. A question: Is the IF filter designed for a specific impedance?

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  11 месяцев назад

      Yes, typically tuned to the output and input impedance of the circuits preceeding and following stages.

  • @kevinlai9179
    @kevinlai9179 5 лет назад +1

    you are a legend, saved me at work.

  • @shreyamandanna7473
    @shreyamandanna7473 4 года назад

    Brilliant demonstration, thanks a bunch!

  • @mathk7
    @mathk7 11 лет назад

    Thanks for all the details very helpful. One suggestion I would like to see is how do you build your setup and more important why you adding the coupling transformer and how do you make sure that your input oscilloscope match the impedance of the output etc. As a hobbits I am not quite aware of all those details. I do not really understand all the trick about it. Thanks again.

  • @arashcrouse2
    @arashcrouse2 4 года назад +1

    Man you rock. Wonderful tutorial video.

  • @Cin4n
    @Cin4n 9 лет назад

    It coud be nice to get some screen shoots of Oscilloscope and some pdf of those notes.
    Very clear explanation. Thank you!

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  9 лет назад

      Hasan Kaya I'll post a link to pdf notes later today, after I scan and upload them.

    • @w2aew
      @w2aew  9 лет назад +1

      Hasan Kaya Notes are up: www.qsl.net/w2aew//youtube/RFmixersheterodyne.pdf

    • @Cin4n
      @Cin4n 9 лет назад

      Thank you wery much.

  • @worldwide1376
    @worldwide1376 3 года назад

    Excellent very well presented video clearly explained. Thank you.