RF and microwave switches are used extensively in microwave test systems
for signal routing between instruments and devices under test (DUT). Incorpo-
rating 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 ?? ow through unheated solid semiconductor
materials, Germanium or Silicon being the most well known, instead of ?? owing
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superseded by transistors, the term “solid state” generally refers to devices that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”.
RF and microwave switches can be categorized into two equally mainstream,
and essential groups: