High-throw count RF switches span 9 kHz – 8 GHz range

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp., founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator) and pioneer of advanced RF solutions, introduces the UltraCMOS® PE42562, PE42582 and PE42512 high-throw count RF switches. Optimized for the demands of next-generation test & measurement equipment, these SP6T, SP8T and SP12T absorptive switches support a wide frequency range from 9 kHz to 8 GHz and offer an external VSS pin to eliminate spur. With low insertion loss, high isolation, best-in-class linearity, a fast switching time and settling time, Peregrine’s new high-throw count RF switches boast industry-leading performance specifications and flexibility in a high-throw countconfiguration. The UltraCMOS PE42562, PE42582 and PE42512 are ideal for test & measurement applications such as filter bank switching and transmit/receive (T/R) signal path switching.

“Peregrine’s new SP6T, SP8T and SP12T switches deliver an unparalleled combination of flexibility and performance in a high-throw count configuration,” says Kinana Hussain, director of marketing at Peregrine Semiconductor. “With a wide frequency range and external VSS pin, our team has optimized the PE42562, PE42582 and PE42512 to fit the unique needs of the test & measurement market. Test & measurement engineers can rely on these high-throw count switches to deliver performance, reliability and flexibility in their designs.”

An advantageous capability of these high-throw count switches is a mirror port selection feature, which enables simultaneous RF path selection through a single control bus. Instead of a multitude of single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) switches, two high-throw count switches can be used in a dual-switch configuration. To activate the mirror port selection feature, the logic select (LS) pin on one switch is grounded, and the LS pin on the second switch is left with “no connect.” This simplified layout—where one logic control signal is sent to both switches—saves board space and layout time. To learn more about this mirror port selection feature, download “Application Note 68: Simultaneous Path Selection in a Dual-switch Configuration” from Peregrine’s website.

Optimized for test & measurement applications, the UltraCMOS PE42562 (SP6T), PE42582 (SP8T) and PE42512 (SP12T) RF switches cover a wide frequency range from 9 kHz to 8 GHz. The absorptive switches have an external VSS pin to eliminate spur. These highly flexible switches have extremely high port-to-port isolation and low insertion loss across the entire frequency range. Each high-throw count switch delivers high linearity of 60 dBm IIP3, exceptional power handling of 33 dBm continuous wave (CW), a fast switching time in the 200 nanosecond range and a fast settling time.

The PE42562 and PE42582 are offered in a 24-lead 4 x 4 mm QFN package, while the PE42512 is available in a 32-lead 5 x 5 mm QFN package. Samples and evaluation kits are available now. Volume-production parts will be available at the end of March. For 10K-quantity orders, each PE42562 (SP6T) switch is $4.99. Each PE42582 (SP8T) switch is $5.87, and each PE42512 (SP12T) switch is $10.28.

In addition to these three high-throw count switches, Peregrine today introduces high-throw count, high performance RF switches for the wireless infrastructure and catalog markets and extended temperature applications.