The PE42440 single-pole four-throw (SP4T) RF switch from Peregrine Semiconductor targets general-purpose Tx/Rx switching in cellular and 2.4-GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio bands. Made with Peregrine’s UltraCMOS silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) process technology, it also fits antenna tuning and filter bank tuning and switching in a wide range of applications, including cellular radios and radio modules. It can be used for the antenna tuning of UHF bands through 3 GHz, RFID antenna tuning, femtocells, and industrial applications as well.

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The 50-Ω switch covers from 50 MHz up to 3 GHz. Its RF performance includes an IIP3 of +67 dBm and P1dB of 41.5 dBm (across the range); insertion loss of 0.45 dB; and very high isolation of 34 dB (at 1 GHz). Also, it handles a maximum of +33-dBm input power (500 MHz to 3 GHz) with world-class electrostatic discharge (ESD) tolerance of 4.0 kV human body model (HBM) on the RFC pin. It features integrated CMOS control logic and a low 4.5-Ω series on resistance as well.

Further, its decoder for two-pin control accepts 1.8-V and 2.75-V control logic levels. A single VDD supply pin eliminates the need for multiple power supplies and power-up sequencing, which is typically required on competitive devices. As with all SOS-based UltraCMOS RFICs, the PE42440 settles quickly without gate lag or insertion loss drift. No blocking capacitors are required either. 

The Peregrine Semiconductor PE42440 SP4T RF switch is made with silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) CMOS. It’s designed for any wireless application in the 500-MHz to 3-GHz frequency range.

According to Peregrine, the performance of its UltraCMOS can’t be matched by GaAs-based (gallium arsenide) or other silicon-on-insulator devices. In addition, SOS provides environmental benefits as it doesn’t produce the toxic e-waste associated with GaAs-based devices. Packaged in a 16-lead, 3- by 3-mm quad flat no-lead (QFN) package, the PE42440 is available for $0.67 each in lots of 100,000.

Peregrine Semiconductor