What might happen in a receiver if excessive signal energy overdrives the mixer circuit?

When excessive signal energy overdrives the mixer circuit in a receiver, spurious mixer products are generated. The mixer is designed to combine two signals, typically a radio frequency (RF) signal and a local oscillator (LO) signal, to produce intermediate frequency (IF) signals. However, when the input signal power exceeds the design parameters of the mixer, it can cause non-linear behavior.

In this non-linear region, the mixer may produce additional signals that are not part of the original input signals, resulting in unwanted spurious products. These spurious products can create interference and degrade the overall performance of the receiver, leading to issues such as poor sensitivity, distortion, and unwanted signals appearing in the output.

By contrast, excessive signal energy does not simply amplify interference signals or filter out desired signals. Rather, the primary concern is the generation of these unintended spurious responses, which can complicate signal processing and hinder the receiver's ability to accurately process the intended signals.