RF relays for high frequency switching

14 May 2008 Switches, Relays & Keypads

The range of Axicom RF relays from Tyco Electronics has been extended to include a shielded 3 GHz relay and a 6 GHz relay, to address the market requirements of increased frequency switching of analog signals and transmission rates of digital signals.

New HF3S and HF6 are developments of the well established HF3 relay and have been designed for 50 Ω or 75 Ω impedance applications and a frequency range of 200 MHz up to 6 GHz.

These high performance and cost effective electromechanical relays benefit from a small package measuring 15 x 7,6 x 10,6 mm and feature coil voltages of 3, 4,5, 5, 6, 9, 12 and 24 V d.c. All HF series relays are SMT pad compatible and suitable for all SMD soldering processes.

Compared with alternative solutions, such as FETs or pin diodes, electromechanical high-frequency relays possess better high-frequency characteristics with better isolation and lower insertion loss. They permit the transmission of DC, AC and high-frequency signals with constant characteristics over the entire temperature range from -55°C to +85°C. The metallic contact in the closed condition permits low insertion loss with no signal distortion from non-linearities in the signal path. This allows the interference-free transmission of signals with high frequency and high power.

Technical details include a single-pole changeover and a polarised coil with low power consumption - 140 mW for the non-latching (monostable) variant and 70 mW and 140 mW for the latching (bistable) 1-coil and 2-coil versions, respectively. Both HF3S and HF6 devices boast switching characteristics of 60 W d.c./62,5 VA for an a.c. load or 50 W for an RF load. RF power capability is up to 150 W for HF3S components and 50 W at 2,4 GHz for HF6 relays. Insertion loss is 0,08 dB at 1 GHz for HF3S devices and 0,2 dB at 5 GHz for HF6 components.

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