Pasternack Inc of Irvine, CA, USA (which makes both passive and active RF, microwave and millimeter-wave products) has launched a new line of E- and W-band PIN diode waveguide switches.
The single-pole single-throw (SPST) and double-pole double-throw (DPDT) millimeter-wave waveguide switches are reflective designs that operate over an ultra-broadband frequency range with fast switching performance. They are suitable for telecoms, test instrumentation, R&D and radar front end applications that may involve general switching, receiver protection, pulse modulation and/or antenna beam switching.
The new series consists of four models with fully integrated WR10 and WR12 waveguide ports covering popular E-band (60-90GHz) and W-band (75-110GHz) frequencies. Switch circuits integrate low-loss Fin-line assemblies with gallium arsenide (GaAs) beam-lead diodes, resulting in 4dB typical insertion loss, greater than 25dB of isolation, and fast switching speed of <300ns. The waveguide PIN diode switches incorporate TTL driver circuitry with an SMA connector control port for ease of use. All models require a dual voltage bias of +5/-5Vdc and have a maximum rated CW input power level of 0.5dBm. Rugged MIL-grade compact package configurations combine both switch and control module packages and offer maximum performance and reliability over a full temperature range of -55°C to +85°C.
“Designers will find these models extremely desirable for prototype and proof-of-concept applications because they are in stock and can be shipped immediately with no minimum order quantity,” says product manager Tim Galla.