How Mini-Circuits increased the performance of its absorptive RF switch and addressed new wireless applications by integrating Menlo Microsystems’ Ideal Switch®
As electronic systems, particularly for wireless communications, become faster, more complex, miniaturized and energy efficient, the performance demands placed on the constituent components increase. For example, the latest satellite communications and quantum computing applications are driving demand for low-loss, ultra-fast and extremely reliable switches. However, these requirements cannot be fully addressed by semiconductor switches which, although extremely reliable, are inherently lossy, or by electro-mechanical relays (EMRs) that exhibit very low loss but have limited life expectancy and relatively low switching speed.
Faced with these constraints, Mini-Circuits approached innovative switch developer Menlo Micro to investigate if a collaboration could enhance Mini-Circuits’ product portfolio with a new, absorptive RF switch that could meet the demands of cutting-edge wireless applications. Menlo has conducted significant research in recent years to develop a new category switch, based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. These switches can address the size, weight, power, frequency coverage, life expectancy and linearity design compromises of existing technologies and resolve them in a single device, known as the Ideal Switch®.
By combining semiconductor manufacturing techniques with a micro-mechanical actuator, this new generation switch achieves practically an infinite number of switching cycles It has universal signal coverage, able to carry AC/DC and RF signals with linear performance from DC to > 50 GHz. The miniaturized, paired-back design and use of innovative materials make it extremely fast, highly reliable, and durable – switching in under 10μs, with a life expectancy exceeding billions of operations.
Our design brief from Mini-Circuits was to use Ideal Switch technology to help them create their first-ever MEMS-based switch. They supplied us with a demanding set of performance specifications in a specific form factor – including interfaces – to ensure that the result could be easily utilized in existing and future wireless systems. We collaborated with Mini-Circuits’ development teams on the project, holding frequent design reviews and both teams benefitted from Menlo’s excellent applications engineering support team to facilitate the integration.
The result was Mini-Circuits’ MEM-SP4T-A18 “Absorptive Switch”, an absorptive SP4T switch with the high speed and reliability of a semiconductor switch and the comparable power handling and isolation of a mechanical one. Switch life expectancy increased from millions of operations to 3 billion switch cycles at a specified power rating and operating frequency, making it particularly useful for satellite communication applications where reliability is paramount. Furthermore, the switching time decreased from around 20ms to 15 us, making it appropriate for new, near real-time applications such as antenna line feeds, agile beamforming, and industrial applications such as fast RF switches in quantum computing. The improved DC passing capability up to 9V, 500mA enables the switch to be used in antenna feeds and high-power amplifiers without the need for separate DC feeds.
A single USB daisy-chain control interface with “dynamic addressing” simplifies control integration, enabling up to 25 compatible switches to be combined into a master/slave chain configuration. Additionally, the switch is powered by the USB interface rather than needing a separate 24V DC power supply.
The enhancement to Mini-Circuits’ product portfolio, enabled by integrating Menlo’s Ideal Switch technology to produce the Absorptive Switch – Mini-Circuits’ first MEMS-based product – complements their existing semiconductor and EMR product range by adding a competitively differentiated solution that delivers higher performance and greater reliability, while addressing more demanding use cases – ultimately meeting current and future demands for high performance and reliability in next-generation wireless communications.
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Courtesy of Mini-Circuits
