US 5,856,713 AGranted

N-way MMIC switch

AssigneeRaytheon Company

InventorsSteven E. Huettner, William F. Miccioli

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Abstract

A multiple terminal selector switch for use with millimeter-wave signals has a layout of components enabling the switch to be constructed on a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chip while maintaining adequately low cross talk among ports of the switch to retain isolation among its ports. The circuitry includes a transmission line having multiple taps spaced apart by an integral number of half wavelengths of the signal, wherein the taps connect to separate ports via arms of the circuit. Each arm has an electronically switchable element for producing open or short circuits for connection and disconnection of a switch port from the transmission line. One primary tap of the transmission line is unswitched and connects with a further port from which, or to which, signals of the other ports are selectively switched. A driver circuit for control of the switching elements in the respective arms is disposed within a central region of the switching circuit, while the transmission line encircles at least a portion of the driver circuit.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A multiple-terminal selector switch having an architecture conforming to a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chip, the switch comprising:

a transmission line having multiple nodes, any one of said nodes being separated from a neighboring one of said nodes by a spacing equal to an integral number of half-wavelengths of a microwave signal applied to the switch, one of said nodes being a primary node, and the other of said nodes being a secondary node;
a plurality of switching arms connected to respective ones of said secondary nodes, each of said switching arms having a signal port distant from said transmission line;
a driver for controlling each of said switching arms for establishing states of conduction and nonconduction in each of said switching arms, said transmission line having a configuration which at least partially encloses said driver;
wherein said transmission line and said driver are disposed on a front surface of said chip;
and
a state of conduction in any one of said switching arms enables conduction of a signal between the port of said one switching arm and said primary node via said transmission line.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.