Menlo Microsystems Inc. announced a broadband RF switching platform that covers DC to 70 GHz, extending switching performance into the bandwidths required for high-frequency silicon photonics test systems, where traditional switching technologies face performance limitations.
The core of the new MM5800 platform is a high-performance SPDT micro-mechanical switch based on Menlo Micro’s Ideal Switch® technology, designed for microwave and millimeter-wave applications requiring low loss, high linearity, and high-power operation. In addition to extending switching performance from DC to 70 GHz, the MM5800 replaces both electromechanical relays and solid-state RF switches in high-performance measurement systems.
The device supports more than three billion switching cycles, enabling long operational lifetime in automated test systems. Its architecture provides linearity and signal integrity compared to solid-state technologies, while delivering switching performance that is faster and smaller than traditional electromechanical relay technologies.
The MM5800 is optimized for high-speed test infrastructure supporting PCIe Gen7, 224G SerDes, and emerging high-speed communication and optical standards.
The MM5800’s combination of millimeter-wave performance, low loss, high linearity, and high-power handling is suited for applications including test and measurement, silicon photonics, satellite communications infrastructures, aerospace and defense RF systems, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) limiter and protection applications. The device is also capable of operating at cryogenic temperatures for quantum compute applications.
As data rates continue to scale across AI accelerators, GPUs, high-bandwidth memory, and optical interconnects, system designers and test engineers are increasingly constrained by signal integrity degradation imposed by the switching infrastructure itself.
Maintaining measurement fidelity across wafer probe, package, and system-level validation has become a critical requirement, and the platform is designed to minimize switch-induced distortion while maintaining consistent performance across wide bandwidths, enabling improved correlation across measurement environments.
“Our customers’ needs reflect a significant change in how high-speed and mixed-signal systems are validated,” said Russ Garcia, CEO of Menlo Microsystems. “As system architectures continue to evolve toward higher bandwidths and tighter integration between electrical and optical domains, there is a growing need for switching infrastructure that enables millimeter-wave frequencies with linearity, insertion loss, and power performance not previously available in a single solution. The MM5800 does exactly that.”
The MM5800 delivers an insertion loss of approximately 0.5 dB at 40 GHz, typical IIP3 of 95 dBm, and 30 dB isolation at 40 GHz for RF measurement applications. High power handling capability of 4 W continuous wave and 40 W pulsed supports RF and microwave applications while maintaining performance across high-frequency operations.
The MM5800 is offered in a 2.7 mm × 2.2 mm wafer-level chip-scale package, enabling dense integration in test systems while reducing board-level parasitics and improving end-to-end channel performance. Two independently controlled switch channels are enabled via RF gate control, supporting system-level routing architectures.
Menlo Micro is showcasing this device at IMS 2026 this week. Stop by booth 13044 to learn more.
Click here to learn more about the Menlo Microsystems.
