News: Microelectronics
9 March 2022
pSemi launches first SP4T switches for up to 67GHz
Murata company pSemi Corp of San Diego, CA, USA – a fabless provider of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) – has expanded its RF SOI portfolio with the first SP4T (single-pole four-throw) switches for wideband and high-frequency applications up to 67GHz.
Designed to enhance 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) systems and short-range connectivity, the compact and energy-efficient switches offer what is claimed to be best-in-class insertion loss, linearity, switching time and power handling at FR2 frequencies.
pSemi now offers a family of mmWave SPDT and SP4T switches to help designers simplify layouts and improve overall system efficiency in test and measurement, wireless infrastructure, satellite and point-to-point communication applications.
Emergence of mmWave
With rising investments in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) devices and applications, mmWave frequencies are key to delivering faster data rates, increased throughput and lower latency in advanced communication networks. 5G mmWave and multi-band configurations introduce more complex signal transmission and denser antenna structures to support evolving cellular, satellite and unlicensed standards. Designers are overcoming these challenges by implementing phased-array antennas and optimized RF front-end architectures to maximize signal strength and throughput without adding noise or loss to the system.
“Demand for enhanced streaming and augmented-, virtual- and mixed-reality experiences are accelerating the commercialization of mmWave,” says Vikas Choudhary, VP of sales & marketing. “pSemi continues to expand its portfolio of mmWave switches, digital step attenuators, beam-formers and up-down converters, and to invest in technology that supports customer needs as higher frequency spectrum is released,” he adds.
Broadband RF switches’ features and benefits
Three UltraCMOS switches deliver RF performance, reliability and size in multiple product configurations to best meet challenging mmWave system designs from 9kHz to 67GHz. Available in flip-chip die form, the PE42545 SP4T supports up to 67GHz and the PE42525 SPDT supports up to 60GHz. Available in a small 3mm x 3mm LGA package, the PE42546 SP4T supports up to 45GHz. Benefits include:
- low latency — extremely fast switching for rapid transmit and receive data patterns in advanced communication schemes;
- energy efficiency — highest power handling and lowest insertion loss to conserve transmit power and increase receiver sensitivity;
- wideband coverage — best-in-class return loss with proprietary design techniques delivers RF performance up to 67GHz.
Test & measurement – a mmWave SP4T case study
The test and measurement industry faces the unique challenge of needing to stay ahead of the 5G mmWave technology learning curve to deliver advanced testing solutions. Equipment must support higher power handling, high linearity, low insertion loss and fast switching to efficiently pressure test scenarios up to 67GHz under extreme conditions.
For test and measurement designers seeking to simplify complex broadband designs, a single PE42545 or PE42546 SP4T can replace multiple SPDTs used in cascaded filter bank configurations to reduce space and offer band-select paths with less insertion loss. Having access to scalable and reliable components ensures that designers can easily adapt system designs to different band configurations as 3GPP standards evolve in 5G, 5G-Advanced and 6G.
