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Peregrine Semiconductor’s RoHS-compliant PE42555 50Ω switch is designed for high-performance broadband RF applications such as cellular infrastructure, WiMAX and high-precision RF applications. Manufactured on Peregrine’s HaRP™-enhanced UltraCMOS™ technology, the single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) device operates with exceptional linearity from DC to 6.0 GHz, pushing the upper limits for broadband performance past standard competitive devices. It maintains excellent RF performance and linearity from DC to 6000 MHz. UltraCMOS™ mixed-signal process technology is a patented variation of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology on a sapphire substrate providing high yields and competitive costs. This technology delivers significant performance advantages over competing processes such as GaAs, SiGe BiCMOS and bulk silicon CMOS in applications where RF performance, low power and integration are paramount. A proprietary design feature enables the device to eliminate the phase and insertion loss drift that occurs after a switching event.

Like all UltraCMOS HaRP-enhanced devices, the PE42555 features ultra-fast settling time, which allows systems to respond faster without a reduction in RF performance. A typical GaAs-based switch has a gate lag in settling time that is not usually defined in its operational specification. This lag, which develops a phase and insertion loss drift, is non-existent on the UltraCMOS-based PE42555.

The PE42555 integrates on-board CMOS control logic, driven by a single-pin, low-voltage CMOS control input. It also has a logic select pin which enables changing the logic definition of the control pin. Additional features include a user-defined logic table, enabled by the on-board CMOS circuitry.

The PE42555 is Peregrine’s commercial version of a RF IC designed for a large strategic customer in a technically challenging application. They chose UltraCMOS for its ability to deliver unprecedented linearity up to 6 GHz, while maintaining all the extraordinary performance results in isolation, stability and ease-of-use,” said Rodd Novak, Peregrine’s vice-president of marketing. “By making this device available to the general RF population, design problems will be solved,” he added.

The device also delivers low insertion loss (0.65 dB @3.5 GHz and 0.90 dB @6 GHz); high IIP3 (>50 dBm DC to 6 GHz); P1dB compression point of 34 dBm (DC to 6 GHz); and high isolation (27 dB @ 3.5 GHz and 21 dB @ 6.0 GHz).

The PE42555 is available in a 4 × 4mm 20-lead QFN package. Products samples and volume production are available now through Peregrine’s global sales representatives and its worldwide distribution partner, Richardson Electronics.