Understanding Solid State Switches and Their Applications
Application Notes
1.0 Introduction
RF and microwave switches are used extensively in microwave test systems for signal routing between instruments and devices under test (DUT). Incorporating a switch into a switch matrix system enables you to route signals from multiple instruments to single or multiple DUTs. This allows multiple tests to be performed with the same setup, eliminating the need for frequent connects and disconnects. The entire testing process can be automated, increasing the throughput in high-volume production environments.
Introduced in the 1960s, the term “solid state” describes electronic devices which contain neither vacuum tubes nor mechanical devices such as relays. In solid state components, electrons flow through unheated solid semiconductor materials, Germanium or Silicon being the most well known, instead of flowing through a heated vacuum as in vacuum tubes. As vacuum tubes were rapidly superseded by transistors, the term “solid state” generally refers to devices that “contain no moving parts.”