Peregrine Semiconductor Corp of San Diego, CA, USA, a fabless provider of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) based on silicon-on-sapphire (SOS), has announced availability of what it claimns is the industry’s highest-isolation SPDT (single-pole double-throw) RF switch for the wireless infrastructure market.
The UltraCMOS-based PE42420 RF switch has high isolation of 64dB @ 4GHz (an increase of about 20% over competing devices on the market, it is reckoned). Also, the switch features HaRP technology enhancements to deliver high linearity, with an IIP3 of 65dBm. By providing high linearity and isolation in a single, small package, the PE42420 simplifies digital pre-distortion (DPD) loop design, which reduces cost and shortens time to market.
Peregrine says that the high-performance switch enables increased network capacity and higher data rates in infrastructure applications such as base-station transceiver systems (BTSs), remote radio heads (RRHs), and wireless backhaul, as well as industrial, scientific & medical (ISM)-band devices that operate in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz frequencies.
“As we enter a period of major mobile broadband capacity upgrades, network equipment vendors are challenged to provide mobile operators with flexible, backward-compatible solutions to replace 2G and 3G network products with LTE-ready systems that are capable of supporting multiple standards,” says Mark Schrepferman, director of the communications and industrial product line for Peregrine’s High-Performance Solutions business unit. “At the same time, the demand for higher data rates is requiring improved network performance, which we believe is driving market needs for high-isolation and high-linearity RF components,” he adds. “The PE42420 switch enables equipment vendors to meet these network modernization challenges.”
In order to maximize network performance in next-generation wireless communication systems, high port-to-port isolation is required to prevent the output signal from spilling into adjacent radio channels or bands, says Peregrine.
Also, because the DPD receiver is shared by multiple power amplifiers (PAs) in these systems, high isolation between the multiple paths ensures that the PA that is being sampled is not contaminated by other signals.
The 0.1-6GHz PE42420 switch supports 1.8V control logic, enabling the use of lower-voltage and lower-power microcontrollers. ESD tolerance of 2kV HBM on all pins eases manufacturing and results in higher reliability of the end-product, says Peregrine.
The PE42420 switch is available in a 20-pin 4mm x 4mm LGA package, and is priced starting at $1.25 each. Samples and volume-production quantities can be ordered through Peregrine’s global direct sales representatives and worldwide distribution partners. The PE42420 Evaluation Kit (part number EK42420-02, $95) is also available, enabling designers to evaluate the PE42420 switch in their applications.
