Menlo Micro debuts new power switch architecture at PCIM 2025
Menlo Microsystems is announcing a new scalable power switching architecture that enables its Ideal Switch to be deployed in advanced power distribution and control systems to 10MW and beyond. The new architecture will be showcased as a demonstration at PCIM 2025 in Nuremburg from May 6-8.
The demonstration system, which is being exhibited in Europe for the first time, is based on the MM9200, a 300V, 10A MicroElectro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) switch. It utilises Menlo’s Ideal Switch technology to provide an ultra-low on-resistance, metal-on-metal contact to eliminate wasted power. The MM9200 is a high-power SPST micro-electromechanical relay that is smaller, more efficient and has higher performance than equivalent solid-state relay (SSR) and electro-mechanical relay (EMR) alternatives.
The demonstration will replicate an innovative use case for the MM9200 in a real-world application currently being designed for the U.S. Navy. It will be deployed in one of the world’s most advanced circuit breakers, supporting up to 1,000V and 10,000A. This important proof of concept opens up a wide range of power control and protection applications, from milliwatts to megawatts.
Arrays of MM9200 switches are configured for microsecond speed protection in 1000V / 125A modules. Four modules are combined into hot-swapable systems, and multiple systems are deployed in parallel to scale to accommodate higher power requirements.
Unlike other solutions, the negligible power dissipation of the Ideal Switch removes the need for design compromises to accommodate heat management while simultaneously enabling power management and control systems to be constructed in a fraction of the space.
