Microsemi announces PIN Diode switching elements optimized for high-power HF, VHF and UHF transceiver switch applications

     Microsemi Corporation, a leading provider of differentiated semiconductor technology solutions in terms of power consumption, safety, reliability and performance, has announced the new high-power single-chip Microwave Surface Mount (MMSM) series-parallel SP2T PIN diode reflector switch MPS2R10-606. The device is optimized for high frequency (HF), extremely high frequency (VHF), and ultra-high frequency (UHF) high-power transceiver assemblies (T/R) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) receiver arrays and transponders, military, aerospace, and Marine radiocommunications applications for challenging radio frequency (RF) power supplies, small signal switches, and receiver power limiting functions. Take advantage of our unique 50-year history of providing quality PIN diode products.

     The new MPS2R10-606 switch offers frequency coverage from 100 MHZ to 1 GHz, with 0.2dB insertion loss, 15dB return loss and 55dB isolation in the mid-band, and achieves 500 nanosecond (nS) switching speeds through simple analog control of voltage. Simultaneous processing of up to 100 W continuous wave (CW) power. The MPS2R10-606 is supplied in a compact non-magnetic 2.03mm x 1.27mm format that meets the requirements of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) of EU Directive 2002/95/EC and is fully compatible with mount and Surface Mount technology (SMT) reflow manufacturing technology.

     Vincent Cannistraro, Senior Director and division Manager of the RF/ Microwave Discrete Products Business Unit, Myxomy, says: "Our MRI and communications RF customers have required higher levels of functional integration and reduced form factor, driving demand for PIN diode switches with higher density, functionality and performance. "Our new PIN diode switching technology, with its compact MMSM package size, is a key driver in this space and allows for significantly higher power levels than traditional gallium arsenide (GaAs), metal semiconductor field-effect transistors, and silicon-on-SOI solutions."

     Moreover, the MPS2R10-606 technology supports public safety, aviation, Marine and military handheld and rack mount radio hardware (JTRS), which is critical to combating a variety of international and domestic threats. Because the PIN diode MMSN switch is non-magnetic, it has the high density and high performance required to implement MRI receiving arrays.

     According to a recent survey by market researcher Strategy Analytics, the land-based military radio market is set to reach $6.5 billion by 2024, and the MPS2R10-606 device combines compact size, fast switching speed, and high CW power handling capabilities, making it an ideal fit for this growing market.