Sub $2 Switch Controls 0.5 To 6.0 GHz

May 22, 2007

Tyco Electronics, M/A-COM has developed a single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) PIN diode switch for applications from 500 MHz to 6 GHz. Ideal for commercial WiMAX base stion and military radio applications, the low-cost switch handles over 8 W input power and provifdes an input third-order intercept point of +65 dBm. Model MASW-000822 suffers just 0.35 dB insertion loss over the operating band, with 27 dB transmit-receive isolation. It achieves excellent linearity with the modulated signals of WiMAX and software-defined radios (SDRs), with error-vector-magnitude performance of 0.8 percent at 3.8 GHz. The switch, which is supplied in a 3-mm PQFN package, can operate from +5, +12, and +28 VDC supplies or +5 and -15 VDC supplies. It is priced at $1.98 in 10,000 quantity. For more information, visit the Tyco Electronics M/A-COM website at: http://www.macom.com/

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.