Menlo Microsystems has announced the formal qualification and production release of its double-pole/double-throw (DPDT) switch for differential switching applications, including AI, ML, GPzu/CPU, datacentre, ATE device interface boards and high-speed computer peripheral interfaces.
“The MM5600 is an enabling technology for the production test and characterization of a broad number of next-gen high-speed digital interfaces,” says co-founder Chris Giovanniello, “this is an important milestone for Menlo, introducing our second product into high-volume production, following the successful introduction of our MM5130 in Q4 2020. The PDK that we’ve developed for the Ideal Switch is allowing us to significantly accelerate the introduction of new, one-of-a-kind products to multiple end markets.”
The switch offers high-speed operation from DC to 20 GHz or 40 Gbps, significantly outperforming conventional electromechanical (EM) relays and solid-state switches. It provides a differential switching solution for high-speed digital applications based on the latest PCI Express standard, PCIe Gen 5, which doubles interconnect speeds over the PCIe 4.0 specification (32 Gigatransfers per second versus 16 GT/s).
The switch also can be configured for single-ended operation for RF and microwave applications. Its flexible configuration enables internal differential crossover capabilities, greatly simplifying board routing.
The MM5600 has:
- Fast switching: It’s switching speed (< 10 µs operation time and < 2 µs release time) is 1000x faster than EM relays, enabling reduced test time and lower cost-of-test.
- Reliability: The device can operate with more than three billion switching cycles, resulting in reduced downtime, maintenance and cost and a 1000x longer lifetime compared to conventional EM relays.
- Compact design: The MM5600’s has a small-footprint/low-profile design (8 mm x 8 mm x 1.6mm QFN package). This enables more parallel tests and easier top and/or bottom routing.
- Power efficiency: The MM5600 operates at less than 0.08 mW, a 99 percent reduction in power consumption compared to EM relays.
- Leading IP3 linearity: The MM5600 achieves an IP3 linearity of more than +90 dBm with a power handling capability of +33 dBm, enabling large reductions in distortion and delivering up to a 10,000x improvement over existing EM relays and solid-state switches.
- IP3 is the figure of merit in determining how much distortion a switch will introduce into a system, impacting the quality of transmitted or received signals.