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IRVINE, Calif., June 15, 2021
Menlo Microsystems, Inc. (Menlo Micro), known for reinventing the electronic switch with its Ideal Switch™ technology, has announced that it has partnered with X-Microwave, the market leader in RF and microwave drop-in components, to deliver an X-MWblocks® modular building block that enables developers to rapidly prototype RF systems based on Menlo Micro’s high-performance MM5130 switch.
The innovator of the “Modular Building Block System,” X-Microwave provides a complete modular building block ecosystem of RF and microwave drop-in components, as well as test and prototyping accessories. The new X-MWblocks module featuring the MM5130 switch is the first Ideal Switch offering in X-Microwave’s extensive portfolio of modular building blocks. Designed for use in production applications, X-MWblocks can be connected together easily without solder to rapidly build RF and microwave assemblies.
Partnering with X-Microwave will help Menlo Micro expand our customer base and extend Ideal Switch technology into new RF and microwave applications.
The MM5130 switch eliminates the compromises that engineers face when deciding between RF mechanical relays or solid-state switches for RF designs. The MM5130 offers the best of both options: it outperforms electromechanical RF relays across all application-critical metrics while offering the size, reliability and speed benefits of a solid-state switch. The highest density SP4T switch on the market, the MM5130 can handle power levels of up to 25W (CW) while operating across a frequency range from DC up to 26 GHz with an insertion loss of 1.3 dB at 18 GHz and switching speeds less than 10 µs.
“Partnering with X-Microwave will help Menlo Micro expand our customer base and extend Ideal Switch technology into new RF and microwave applications,” said Chris Giovanniello, co-founder, SVP marketing, Menlo Micro. “The combination of our MM5130 switch and X-Microwave’s X-MWblocks showcases the industry-leading performance of our new SP4T switch, streamlines RF subsystem prototyping and accelerates customer adoption.”
“Menlo Micro’s Ideal Switch technology is a welcome addition to our growing ecosystem of modular building blocks,” said John Richardson, president and founder of X-Microwave. “The new MM5130-based X-MWblocks module combined with our advanced simulation tools provides customers with an easy way to simulate and prototype complex RF designs while reducing risk and speeding time to market.”
According to Menlo Micro characterization tests, the MM5130 switch offers an IP3 linearity of greater than 95 dBm, enabling significant reductions in distortion for RF systems. IP3 is a figure of merit used to determine how much distortion a switch introduces into an RF system, impacting the quality of transmitted or received signals. Enhanced IP3 performance results in size, weight, power and cost improvements as power amplifiers and other RF components in the design can be scaled back in power and size, enhancing overall system performance.
The MM5130-based X-MWblocks are available now through X-Microwave’s global network of sales representatives and channel partners. Learn more about Menlo Micro, Ideal Switch technology and the MM5130 RF switch at menlomicro.com.
Register for Menlo Micro’s Switch Summit, a premium hosted event bringing the ecosystem together to showcase MEMS switching technologies that are at the forefront of innovation for today’s electrification needs and the future of system designs. It kicks off with an opening keynote conversation with iPod inventor and Nest founder, Tony Fadell on June 16 at 9am PDT.
X-Microwave is the global leader in modular RF and microwave drop-in components featuring packaged and bare die devices from the industry’s leading manufacturers. The modular X-MWblocks® design system allows RF and microwave engineers to design, prototype and produce integrated microwave assemblies (IMAs) faster at lower cost with increased probability of first past design success. X-MWblocks are designed and manufactured by X-Microwave in Austin, Texas (USA). For more information, visit www.xmicrowave.com.
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Menlo Micro has created an entirely new category of electronic switches with its Ideal Switch technology. The Ideal Switch eliminates compromises and tradeoffs by combining the benefits of electromechanical and solid-state switches into the best of both worlds. Menlo is bringing more than 99 percent reductions in size, weight, power, and cost to dozens of industries such as medical, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, and test and measurement. For more information, visit www.menlomicro.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.
