Evaluation Engineering - 14

RF/MICROWAVE SWITCHING

Universal Switching Corp.
MS2010A DC to 18-GHz
switch matrix.

SPECIAL REPORT

RF/MICROWAVE SWITCHING ADDS
FLEXIBILITY TO DIVERSE APPLICATIONS
by Rick Nelson, Contributing Technical Editor
	

Engineers in industries ranging from
telecommunications to military/
aerospace need high-performance RF/
microwave switching as part of their test
setups. Consequently, vendors are offering
products ranging from individual switches to complete switching systems to meet
customer demand. This report describes
the latest available RF/microwave switching products and the applications they
serve.
With nearly 30 years' experience,
Universal Switching Corp. has hundreds
of switching products that are focused
within the RF and microwave spectrum,
said Norton W. Alderson, VP marketing.
"Some of the latest products actually span
from DC to 50 GHz." Popular configurations are 1xN or two-dimensional NxM.
"One of our more interesting products
is our MS2010A DC to 18-GHz switch matrix (NxM) that is available in sizes from

14

EVALUATION ENGINEERING APRIL 2020

4x4 to 12x12 and can be further expanded
to 33x33 with multiple units," Alderson
said. "The signal path is completely passive. It provides 1:1 connectivity in a full
matrix array with exceptional channel
isolation and low loss, which is one of
the most desired features in a wideband
test matrix."
Alderson said the 2RU-sized MS2010A
wideband matrix (up to 12x12) incorporates proprietary plug-in relay elements.
"Should a relay be damaged by an external
signal or have reached its life expectancy,
a hand tool and a few minutes is all that
is needed, and the relay is easily replaced
by the user in the field," he said.
The company also offers its modular
UC1 for test applications. "This is a flexible
1RU product that can be reconfigured in
the field as test needs change (which they
always do)," Alderson said. "Currently it
only has 1xN (Nx1) and signal-transfer

(A:1/B:2) type configurations offered, but
new configurations are in the development pipeline." He explained that the UC1
can accommodate up to two "PUC" plugin elements that can be removed from the
chassis assembly and remotely located.
"Each PUC element can be remoted up to
400 feet away," he said. "The UC1 includes
front-panel controls, a 1-Gb/s Ethernet
LXI-compliant interface, a multiserial
interface, and redundant power supplies."
Alderson noted that the company offers
relay contact counters so that users can
monitor and anticipate EOL expectancy
and plan maintenance time.
Universal Switching serves applications including military/aerospace test,
telecommunications test, and consumer
wireless test. Within the last few months,
"We addressed a unique need by providing a modular test switch for an ATE
system for a government contractor,"
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