New SPDT RF switch supports the need for increased capacity base stations

Toshiba Electronics Europe GmbH has released a new RF SPDT switch in a compact package suited to applications such as telecommunications base stations, industrial equipment, repeaters, consumer equipment, and transceivers.

The company's new high-power RF SPDT switch (TCWA1225G) offers an input peak power of 46dBm (@ 8dB PAR). This has been achieved by adopting its original CMOS process and optimising the internal switching circuitry. The CMOS process also reduces insertion loss to avoid lowering transmit power and receiver sensitivity. As a result, the device's insertion loss is 0.6dB (typ. @ 5GHz) – around 10% lower than that of competitive products.

The operating voltage is nominally 3.3V, and power consumption is just 50μA. The new device can operate in ambient temperatures from -40C to +95C.

The device is housed in a tiny WCSP measuring just 1.9mm x 1.9mm, giving it a footprint of around 10% smaller than other devices. All important pads, including RF terminals, power, and control, are placed on the periphery of the device to simplify PCB layout.

As part of the 5G rollout, telecommunications base stations have recently introduced Massive MIMO and several TX/RX antennae to provide ultra-high-speed and ultra-large-capacity radio communications services.

Individual antennas increasingly comprise complex signal transmission paths that require RF switching. This requires low insertion loss and high input power in a compact package so that antenna size can be maintained or reduced.