Pickering prioritises size in coaxial reed relay for high speed RF
For digital switching systems systems that demand low RF losses and low insertion loss, Pickering Electronics has introduced the Series 113RF screened relays. The miniature coaxial reed relays are designed for high frequency RF systems up to 3GHz.
Series 113RF SIL / SIP reed relays feature a 2.0mm spacing footprint, enabling them to be stacked at very high densities.
“These small, screened reed relays are faster and smaller than electromechanical relays (EMR), have a lower insertion loss and better DC capabilities than solid state relays (SSR), and better hot switching performance than micro-electromechanical machine (MEM) products,” said Kevin Mallett, technical specialist at Pickering Electronics.
The Series 113RF reed relays are suitable for switching up to 10W, 0.5A. Pickering also offers 1 Form A configurations (SPST normally open) with 3.0 or 5.0V coils and coil resistances of up to 100 and 300 Ohms respectively.
At low levels, the typical life expectancy of Series 113RF reed relays is greater than 250 million reliable operations, confirmed Pickering. The relays are claimed to employ the highest quality instrumentation grade reed switches with sputtered ruthenium contacts, making them suitable for automatic test equipment.
All Series 113RF reed relays feature an internal mu-metal magnetic screen to enable high density stacking of relays without the risk of adjacent devices interfering with each other resulting in faulty operation.
Pickering now offers a coaxial RF option in many of their small, instrumentation reed relay ranges, up to 5.0GHz.
Pickering offers over 1,000 standard catalogue reed relays, but also offers a bespoke service, from standard build options, all the way to a fully customised part, depending on requirements, for example, a different footprint, specific coil voltages or resistance figures to meet an exact specification request.
Pickering Electronics was formed over 50 years ago to design and manufacture high quality reed relays, intended principally for use in instrumentation and test equipment. Today, Pickering’s single-in-line (SIL/SIP) range has devices 25 per cent the size of many competitors, claimed the company. These small SIL/SIP reed relays are sold in high volumes to large ATE and semiconductor companies throughout the world.
The privately-owned Pickering Group comprises three electronics manufacturers: reed relay company Pickering Electronics; Pickering Interfaces, designers and manufacturers of modular signal switching and simulation products, and Pickering Connect which designs and manufactures cables and connectors.
