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

This video describes the basic properties of RF mixers, in the context of using them for frequency conversion/translation such in the application of a radio receiver. The input and output signals are shown on the oscilloscope, and the spectrum of the output is also shown, illustrating the various frequency components that are produced by the mixing process. The concept of IF filtering in a receiver is also illustrated. The video does not go into the design of mixers, the different types of mixers, or how to select a mixer for a given application. The notes for this video can be found here:
www.qsl.net/w2aew/youtube/RFmi...

[@bmac3933]

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]

Thank you!

[@kenanshobbies9970]

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

[@slithytoaves8637]

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!!

[@Afrotechmods]

Everything you do is awesome.

[@snasturbate1087]

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!!

[@tomsmith3045]

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

[@robbowman8770]

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.

[@allwaysofcontending]

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!

[@allenmccarty]

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

[@jackrippah]

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!

[@jampskan5690]

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

[@MrTysonjharris]

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.

[@jspencerg]

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

[@patrickoneillnl1966]

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!

[@viswatess]

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

[@dr.rezwanurrahman336]

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!

[@shravan8848]

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

[@imboredsauce]

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

[@JohnRaschedian]

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!

[@Babaluuable]

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

[@Jjacobs1986]

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!!

[@kanagarajpalanivel8271]

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

[@Beulzabob]

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!

[@johnwest7993]

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.

[@intotheblue50]

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

[@omsingharjit]

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

[@jonathanbignall1198]

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

[@harisahmed5680]

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

[@ggattsr]

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.

[@joem5386]

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

[@colinpamplin9976]

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

[@aaronr.9644]

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

[@microreniassance2929]

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.

[@jameswarner3599]

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

[@octavmandru9219]

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

[@watsok]

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

[@radoslawbiernacki]

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

[@rishonka]

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

[@jimvashro2872]

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.

[@yetijetn6360]

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.

[@patrickbouldinkm5l143]

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

[@dave-d]

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

[@RichardHayes]

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

[@1946Valentino]

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.

[@valentinobergamofilho4330]

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

[@ChrisWilson5006]

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 :)

[@viswatess]

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

[@anthonydelarosa9367]

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

[@munirpatel3361]

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

[@HughOBrien]

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

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

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

[@emi22n]

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

[@gabramlet]

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

[@gabramlet]

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

[@siphentlangano3428]

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.

[@WR5RR]

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

[@SeAfasia]

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

[@mattmueggenberg9430]

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

[@ELJORGE1]

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!

[@DavidGillooly]

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!

[@lawrencejelsma8118]

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.

[@adelmotlhabinyana7553]

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

[@TheMultiplexer]

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

[@thecombatengineer7069]

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

[@jimg4247]

Thank you , such a clear and understandable description !

[@jnevercast]

Exactly the video I was looking for, great content. Thanks!

[@samcutler5983]

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]

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]

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

[@huskyzzaa]

This is such a great tutorial. Thank you for sharing!

[@darknrgy]

Great video, exactly what I was looking for.

[@erickrivera5894]

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

[@kevinlai9179]

you are a legend, saved me at work.

[@bblackdogg4352]

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]

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

[@binarybox.binarybox]

Very well demonstrated and explaining image frequencies.

[@billysdomain]

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

[@chy6527]

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

[@kevinbyrne4538]

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

[@slcea7]

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

[@tunicana]

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

[@gatesadrian1]

Very nicely done, thank you...it's been a great help

[@anuradhapriyankara5226]

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

[@th1alb]

one of the best explanations ever!

[@ivanblogs]

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.

[@TheApplianceCrew]

Excellent explanation and video, thank you.

[@shreyamandanna7473]

Brilliant demonstration, thanks a bunch!

[@mthirugnana]

Thanks for this nice introduction to Mixers!

[@FnSCHR15]

Awesome tutorial thanks! IF was messing with me that made it simple to understand,

[@rty1955]

Thank you for this easy to understand topic.

[@DAVET38]

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.

[@robertjohansen7482]

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

[@w2aew]

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

[@Parirash123]

Good practical demonstration. Thank you.

[@DavePKW]

Outstanding presentation. Thank you.

[@schwinn434]

Thank You Very Much - this was tremendously educational!

[@Sunny-ml2zs]

Great explanation and very practical.

[@das250250]

Beautifully demonstrated

[@seeker4430]

Amazing video... Great work... Hope you could do more videos

[@worldwide1376]

Excellent very well presented video clearly explained. Thank you.

[@CodeJeffo]

Thank you very much for sharing this with us.

[@chuckpool685]

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

[@w2aew]

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

[@AfdhalAtiffTan]

Very clear explanation. Thank you!

[@GoranSkular]

Perfect explanation! Thank you

[@arashcrouse2]

Man you rock. Wonderful tutorial video.

[@g0fvt]

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]

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