Richardson Electronics announced a global distribution partnership with TeraVicta Technologies, Austin, TX, to distribute its complete line of MEMS-based RF switching solutions. MEMS switches provide the low insertion losses, high isolation and high linearity of electromechanical relays, with the size, power consumption and production advantages of high volume, wafer-fabricated, solid-state switches, such as GaAs FETS and PIN diodes. "We are very excited to be marketing TeraVicta's MEMS products," said Chris Marshall, vice president of Richardson's Wireless & Broadband Communications Business Unit. "From our preliminary investigations, we have serious interest from some of the world's largest instrumentation and infrastructure manufacturers. We believe the reliability and performance of MEMS technology will lead to its widespread adoption by anyone involved in high volume test and other applications currently using electromechanical and reed relay technology."
According to Marshall, MEMS switches are ideally suited for applications employing high performance, single-function switching technologies, including automated test equipment, instrumentation, RF/wireless communications and high performance RF switching.
"Our patented, hermetic in-line chip-scale package is designed to improve RF performance and reduce cost by eliminating wirebonds and leads. The performance and cost advantages of RF MEMS technology make possible the realization of high performance multi-mode/multi-band devices," said John Chimoures, vice president of worldwide sales for TeraVicta Technologies. "MEMS-based switches will soon become a disruptive technology across the RF electronics market and Richardson has product in inventory today to help make that happen."
To support customers' evaluation and design-in of TeraVicta's RF MEMS switches, Richardson stocks a Developers Kit, which includes an evaluation board, samples of the MEMS switch and detailed application notes.
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