Vari-l Company, Inc.

Warren L Seely

An improved broadband mixer includes a first balun (11) with a first signal port (12), a second balun (14) with a second signal port (15), a third balun (17) with a third signal port (18), and a frequency converter (19) coupled between the first, second, and baluns. The first balun means, which preferably receives an RF signal via said first signal port, includes two juxtaposed ground plane baluns 31 and 32 each having opposed, spaced, strip conductors in different planes. The second balun, which preferably receives an LO signal via the second signal port, has a coplanar balun (44) including three strip conductors in the same plane which in turn connects to two juxtaposed ground plane baluns (45 and 46) each having opposed, parallel spaced, strip conductors. The combination of the coplanar balun (44) with the two ground plane baluns (45 and 46) establishes signal polarities which merge end to end with the opposite ground plane baluns (31 and 32) to prevent signals from passing from one signal port to the opposite signal port without requiring cross-connections between the strip conductors in different planes opposite the ground plane baluns.

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Aurora, CO, United States of America

Warren L Seely