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Electrical Engineering — August 11, 2025
The speed of innovation in electrical systems is dizzying. New components and technologies are introduced constantly, and the capabilities of systems and components is always improving
We’re beginning to see AI being deployed to improve management of electrical networks. One element of electrical networks, the relays and circuit breakers, have changed little in the last hundred years… until now.
First invented by Joseph Henry in 1835, the operating principles of electro-mechanical (EM) relay technology remain virtually unchanged. EM relays are bulky, heavy, and require a moderate current to hold them in an on-state.
The switching speed of an EM relay is also relatively slow, and if switched frequently it is possible to wear out the contacts.
In 1971, Crydom Controls, a division of International Rectifier, invented the solid-state relay. Using semiconductors to replicate the functionality of a relay, these devices eliminated wear problems and offered far faster switching speeds.
As semiconductors are used to pass the current, however, the resistance of a solid-state relay can be significant, resulting in cooling challenges as the wasted power is dissipated as heat.
The need for heatsinking means that breakers based on solid state switches are large and heavy.
MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) use semiconductor fabrication techniques to create tiny electromechanical devices. The technology was pioneered in the 1960s and reached widespread adoption in products we use every day including mobile phones, laptop, headphone and earbud speakers, vital signs monitoring wearables, displays technologies, airbags and many more.
Now, Menlo Microsystems is introducing a MEMS-based platform, the Ideal Switch for power products and applications.
It has long been recognised that MEMS switches have the potential to replace relays, yet the technology – particularly the metallurgy – required to ensure reliable operation over many switching cycles, has taken time to develop.
The Ideal Switch is the first MEMS device that has the genuine potential to replace power control and distribution devices.
