Plextek designed microwave switch offers substantially improved performance over commercial ICs

Plextek's electronics design services include:FPGA design, ESCAN Radar, MMIC design, GPRS design, Communications product design, Microwave design Defence electronics, Electronic product design, RF design, DSP design, Telemetry system, System Integration,Communications system design, Due diligence

Press Release

Plextek designed microwave switch offers substantially improved performance over commercial ICs

MOD funded study demonstrates R&D initiative success

Cambridge, 26 July 2005: Plextek has designed a compact, low loss, high power microwave switch that offers substantially improved performance compared to current commercially available microwave switch ICs. The design was funded by an MOD Defence Technology Centre (DTC) and demonstrates the success of this initiative in fostering UK research and development. The switch could offer a number of benefits, such as reduced cost, weight and power dissipation, for a wide range of defence applications including the gain/phase control modules used in active phased array radars.

The research study was commissioned to investigate the realisation of compact, low loss, high power, multi-way microwave switches with an aim to develop a MMIC-based microwave switch topology that simultaneously offers low insertion loss and a high power handling capability. The study was funded through the Electro Magnetic Remote Sensing (EMRS) DTC. The DTCs are a collaborative research initiative where industry and the scientific community work in partnership with the MOD to develop innovative defence technology.

The switch topology designed by Plextek covers an operating bandwidth of 7 to 11 GHz with a mid-band insertion loss of 0.7 dB and a predicted power handling capability of 6.3 W. The mid-band loss is significantly lower than current commercially available X-band switch MMICs while the estimated power handling capability comfortably exceeds the initial target of 2 W. The design makes use of the PHEMT MMIC process of Filtronic Plc and would therefore be available from a UK source.

Further information:
Johanna Hughes, Plextek Ltd, London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex CB10 1NY.
Tel: +44 (0)1799 533200. Fax: +44 (0)1799 533201. Email: jlh@plextek.co.uk
Website: www.plextek.com

Press information:
Gerald Cross, EML, The Albany Boathouse, Lower Ham Road, Kingston, KT2 5BB.
Tel: +44 (0)20 8408 8000. Email: plextek@eml.com

Issued 26/07/2005