Peregrine launches high-power receiver protection RF switch

In booth #1042 at the IEEE MTT International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2017) in Honolulu, Hawaii (6-8 June), Peregrine Semiconductor Corp of San Diego, CA, USA – a fabless provider of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) – has launched the UltraCMOS PE42823 high-power receiver protection RF switch. Suitable for wireless infrastructure applications, the reflective switch is optimized for emerging radio architectures such as massive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO). The PE42823 delivers what is claimed to be single-event peak power handling, low power consumption and high linearity. Offered in a compact 16-lead, 3mm x 3mm x 0.75mm QFN form-factor package, the high-power switch features built-in ESD protection — a key benefit for systems that demand high reliability.

Receiver protection switches are used to protect the system when an antenna is disconnected, which can occur at installation, field failure or with unexpected power surges. The PE42823 switch is designed to reliably handle the reflected power and to protect the receiver system from damage. Unlike competing PIN-diode solutions, the PE42823 requires no external RF matching components, resulting in a smaller board size and lower bill of materials (BOM) costs. PIN-diode based high-power switches require different DC bias voltages, and these solutions need several discrete components and a specified driver IC to transfer control logic to these different DC bias voltages, notes Peregrine.

“Emerging wireless infrastructure systems require intelligent components that reliably deliver low power consumption in a compact form factor,” says director of product marketing Robert Wagner. “Peregrine’s new PE42823 high-power switch offers a clear power handling and size advantage over competing PIN-diode solutions,” he claims. “Plus, design engineers can confidently trust the reliability and repeatability of Peregrine’s UltraCMOS technology platform.”

Covering a wide frequency range from 700MHz to 6GHz, the PE42823 is a reflective single pole, double throw (SPDT) switch designed for use in high-power and high-performance wireless infrastructure applications. The RF protection switch delivers single-event peak power handling of 51dBm LTE, low power consumption of 120μA and what is claimed to be exceptional linearity performance across the frequency range (input IP3 is 70dBm, and the input IP2 is 105dBm). At 2.7GHz, the switch has high isolation of 43dB on the receive path and 34dB on the transmit path. The PE42823 features built-in ESD protection with an ESD rating of 4.5kV HBM on RF pins to ground. In addition, it has an extended operating temperature of -40°C to +105°C.

Volume-production parts and evaluation kits are now available. For 10,000-unit orders, each PE42823 switch is priced $5.43.