Abstract: In this article, a simple and nonexpensive solution to be used as constitutive element in receiving phased arrays is proposed. Properly adjusting a PHEMT gate biasing voltage, when used in an active mixing topology, the fundamental component of its time?varying transconductance may be controlled, both in magnitude and sign. In this way, a down?converting I/Q architecture, implemented over two of such mixers, is shown to allow the desired level adjustment and phase shifting over the resulting intermediate frequency signal, either for beamsteering or beamforming purposes. The down-converter performance may be accurately predicted, not only in terms of the desired but also of the intermodulation distortion components, based on the use of two?dimensional converting transfer functions.

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