Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) has expanded its RF switching portfolio with the introduction of the ADGM3144, a wideband single-pole, four-throw (SP4T) MEMS switch designed for RF and high-speed signal routing applications. The device supports operation from DC up to 30 GHz, addressing both RF signal paths and high-speed digital interfaces within a compact surface-mount package.
The ADGM3144 is fabricated using ADI’s microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch technology, enabling low insertion loss and high linearity across a wide frequency range. It provides a -3 dB bandwidth from DC to 19 GHz on RF1 and RF4 channels and DC to 17 GHz on RF2 and RF3 channels. At -6 dB, the bandwidth extends to 29 GHz and 22 GHz, respectively. These characteristics allow the device to support data rates up to 64 Gbps, covering multiple contemporary high-speed serialization and deserialization standards.
The MEMS switch has an insertion loss of 0.55 dB at 6 GHz and 0.85 dB at 10 GHz, with off-isolation values of 26 dB and 23 dB at the same frequencies. It provides a return loss of 28 dB at 6 GHz and 25 dB at 10 GHz. This switch also features an input third-order intercept point (IIP3) of 70 dBm and can handle RF input power levels up to 33 dBm.
The SP4T switch integrates a 3.3 V driver that generates the required high voltage for electrostatic MEMS actuation. It has a control that is supported through both parallel and serial peripheral interface (SPI) options, with all four throws independently controllable. This RF switch has a switching time of a maximum turn-on time of 200 µs, and the MEMS structure is rated for a minimum of 100 million switching cycles at +85 °C.
The ADGM3144 is a surface-mount device measuring 3 × 3 × 1.5 mm in a 24-lead land grid array package, designed for space-constrained system designs. Integrated passive shunt resistors reduce the need for external components. This switch operates over an industrial temperature range from −40 °C to +85 °C, supporting use in laboratory, industrial, and infrastructure-grade environments.
Target applications include automated test equipment (ATE) load and probe boards, DC and high-speed loopback testing, relay replacement designs, and reconfigurable RF signal paths such as filters and attenuators. The device also supports high-speed digital interfaces, including PCIe Gen4, Gen5, and Gen6, USB4, and PAM4 signaling, as well as RF systems used in military communications, microwave radios, and 5G mmWave cellular infrastructure.
Performance parameters such as on-resistance are subject to variation based on factors including device aging, actuation cycles, temperature, bias voltage, and settling time after switch activation. ADI notes that compliance with specified operational requirements is necessary to achieve optimal performance in system implementations.
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