Aerospace & Defense

Mission-critical technology.

Current equipment is too big, too heavy and too power hungry. Saving on size, weight, and power—both in the air and on your back—is critical to mission success.
THE IDEAL SWITCH MAKES TECHNOLOGY IN THE FIELD SMALLER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND MORE CAPABLE.

Weight saved drives increased agility and energy savings.

Space saved increases room for added equipment and more functionality.

Power saved delivers longer run-time or smaller, lighter power units or batteries.

Costs saved frees up budget for other gains.

CASE IN POINT:

Tactical Radios

As switches have improved, tactical radios have gotten smaller, lighter, more efficient, and more capable.
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Weight: 54 pounds (4 bowling balls)

Capabilities: FM, Voice Encryption

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Weight: 14 pounds (1 bowling ball)

Capabilities: +SRW, MUOS, SINCGARS, SATCOM, WNW, V/U LOS, HQII, IW, HF SSB w/ ALE, GPS Data Encryption

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Weight: 5 Pounds (half-gallon of milk)

Capabilities: + Better reception, mesh network

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Weight: 7.3 ounces (1 iPhone)

Capabilities: + Better reception, mesh network, texting, maps, video, image, every soldier has one and is connected.

IMPACT:

Securing field advantages.

The Ideal Switch can save over 3dB in high power switched filter banks, enabling truly game-changing form-factors and system integration.
Traditional Filter Banks vs. the Ideal Switch
MM6005 7-Channel
Reconfigurable Filter
Traditional 7-Channel
Switched Filter Bank
Key Benefits
Size7 x 4.6 x 1.6 cm = 51.5 cm320.3 x 20.3 x 2.54 cm = 1,047 cm3 or greater depending on heat sink needs 95% reduction in size
Weight106 g>1,000 g90% reduction in weight
# of Components4 Ideal Switches
30 other components
7 PIN Diodes
150 other components
70% reduction in components
Power60 W in, >43 W out100 W in, <40 W out Greater power efficiency
Speed<10 µs30 µs
RF Performance1.4 dB3—4 dB 1000x improvement in IP3 harmonics
Reduced Size & Weight
Go from many power-hungry, lossy PIN diodes and massive metal housings to a few Ideal Switches in a miniaturized case. The result? 92% board size and weight reduction.
Increased RF Performance
Go from 3-4 dB to 1.4 dB with a 1000X improvement in IP3 and harmonics. Reduced distortion offers higher data rates and more concurrent users.
Reduced Power Consumption
Go from 100 W in, < 40 W out to 60 W in, > 43 W out for smaller PA, simpler thermal management, longer operation in the field.
Reduced Switching Speed
Go over 3x faster (from 30µs to <10µs) for more rapid channel access.
Enabling Technology
With new systems architecture and capabilities afforded by the Ideal Switch, soldiers and first responders can share more information across larger areas more securely.

IN THE LAB

Switched Filter Bank

The Ideal Switch delivers unprecedented performance across all RF-specific characteristics.
Rethinking Switched Filter Banks
Linearity Increase
100x to 10,000x better linearity than solid-state. Reduced distortion means higher data rates and more users in the field.
Insertion Loss Reduction
Save more than 3 dB in power losses in the radio chain. These reductions equal less heat dissipation and more multi-band functionality.
Max Input Increase
Go from <2W to >20W. 10x in power handling generates stronger signal, more range.

Extreme Environments

We designed the Ideal Switch to maintain its properties in the most severe circumstances. Whether it is the material or the structure, the Ideal Switch is built to last.
Extreme Hot & Cold Temps
Superior temperature performance from -40C to +85C with much lower operational variation compared with solid-state technologies.
Extreme Shock & Vibration
Proven reliability that meets the demanding Mil-STD-810G requirements.
“The decades old promise of RF MEMS becoming mainstream technology has up to now, not been realized, but the key problems now appear to have been solved by Menlo Micro.”

RODD NOVAK
VP CORPORATE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
PSEMI / MURATA

Learn about Ideal Switch products: RF Subsystems
The Ideal Switch completely changes reliability and total cost of ownership expectations.