Hi again -

A couple of added thoughts he

1. The term "mixer" has at least two quite different definitions
in the electronics world. To the RF guy, "mixer" means a nonlinear
and/or time-variant device that is used to create sum and
difference frequencies between an input signal and a local
oscillator. But to the audio guy, "mixer" means a highly linear
device used to add or combine audio signals WITHOUT
producing distortion products.

2. As implied above, an RF mixer does not have to be nonlinear;
it can also be implemented as a linear/time-variant device.
(Think of a highly linear switch being chopped at the LO frequency.)
However, the most common practical mixers are those that can be
modelled as non-linear/time-invariant and those that can be modelled
as non-linear/time-variant.

73, Ed, W6LOL

"Airy R.Bean" wrote in message
...
Why, Thank-you!

In the case of amplifiers, presumably we are talking
about the effects of unwanted strong signals driving the
amplifier into its non-linear region (and therefore acting
as a mixer)?

"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 16:31:00 -0000, "Airy R.Bean"
wrote:
From off the top of my head, without any revision.....


Pretty good explanation for a mixer, however, IP3 relates equally well
to amplifiers.

In receivers, IP3 is used as a figure of merit and describes how a
receiver will handle weak signals in the presence of other stronger
signals. It is as explained earlier, a theoretical value.