Bidirectional analog 8/spl times/8 switch matrix with large input signal and over 1 GHz bandwidth

Abstract

A yield-performance optimized 8/spl times/8 GaAs MESFET analog switch matrix aimed at handling simultaneously electrical signals of mixed protocols was designed for local-area network (LAN) applications. The unique features of this circuit are large matrix dimensions combined with small insertion loss, high channel isolation, constant R/sub ON/, low interchannel crosstalk, large maximum input signal, and over 1 GHz bandwidth. The integration of a control logic results in the same functionality as CMOS matrices, while the frequency performance is that of a GaAs circuit. This paper presents the design details and tradeoffs and compares simulated and measured results.