New TSX Wire Bondable Fixed Chip Attenuator Series for Space and Defense Markets

Smiths Interconnect has extended its offering of high frequency surface mount chip attenuators with the release of its new TSX Wire Bondable Fixed Chip Attenuator Series, a small, easy-to-implement, high-reliability product qualified for space and defence applications. The new TSX WB2 Series is qualified to MIL-PRF-55342 and designed to offer excellent broadband performance up to 50-GHz, while delivering increased power handling in a small 0404 wire bondable package. It allows wider coverage than traditional components while providing optimized return loss for multiple frequency ranges. This allows the customer to use a single chip in multiple applications, reducing the bill of material (BOM) item count and consequently, the cost of ownership. The new TSX WB2 Series can be ordered in group A, B or C testing based on MIL-PRF-55342. Qualification data is included with product delivery for program assurance.

“The TSX Wire Bondable series is a cost-effective wire bondable attenuator solution,” said Tullio Panerello, vice president and general manager of the fibre-optics and rf components business unit at Smiths Interconnect. "It provides another chip attenuator option with excellent attenuation performance, compact in size and provides MIL spec test data for program assurance.”

The chip attenuator design for mission critical applications, offers 1 to 3 watts of power handling performance and multiple attenuation values. The use of a robust, proven all thin film process technology on an alumina nitride substrate provides a product suitable for harsh environments, such as those of space and defence applications.

Smiths Interconnect’s TSX WB2 Series is a compact qualified unique solution reducing the BOM and offers the following features: