Single pole double throw switch

• US 5,990,580 A
• Filed: 03/05/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Weigand, Christopher Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zura, Peter
• Application Number:
  US09/035,456
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 307/112, 307/116, 307/125, 307/130, 307/132 M, 307/85-87, 327/374, 327/379, 327/427, 333/2, 333/101, 333/17.1
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/693 Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic SPDT switch (1) has, a series FET (9) in a first circuit arm (4) between a common port (2) and a first port (3), a shunt FET (10) in a second circuit arm (6) between the common port (2) and a second port (5), the shunt FET (10) being isolated 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the common port (2), a source applying pull-up voltage to sources of respective FETs (9, 10) and to the common port (2), to provide a connection of the common port (2) with said second port (5), a source applying a first control voltage of opposite logic state to said gates, and the FETs (9, 10) being depletion mode FETs that conduct at a zero sum of said bias voltage and said control voltage, and that conduct when DC power is interrupted, to provide a connection of the common port (2) with the first port (3).

Claims

1. An electronic SPDT switch comprising:

a common port adapted to be switched between a first port in a first circuit arm and a second port in a second circuit arm,

a series FET in the first circuit arm between the common port and the first port,

a shunt FET in the second circuit arm between the common port and the second port, the shunt FET being connected to ground, the shunt FET being spaced 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the common port,

a source of bias voltage applying a pull-up voltage to gates of respective FETs and to the common port, to provide a connection of the common port with said second port,

a source of control voltage applying a second bias voltage of opposite polarity to said gates, and

the FETs being depletion mode FETs conducting at a zero sum of said bias voltage and said control voltage to switch said connection to a connection of the common port with the first port, and

the FETs conducting when DC power is interrupted to said sources of said first and second bias voltages to switch said connection to a connection of the common port with the first port.

2. An electronic switch as recited in claim 1 wherein,

said common port and said first and second ports each have DC blocking capacitors.

3. An electronic switch as recited in claim 1 wherein, a 1/4 wavelength microstrip spaces the shunt FET 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the common port.

4. An electronic switch as recited in claim 1 wherein, a lumped element spaces the shunt FET 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the common port.

5. An electronic switch as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

multiple shunt FETs in the second circuit arm between the second port and the first recited FET, said shunt FETs being spaced 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the one another.

6. An electronic switch as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

multiple shunt FETs in the second circuit arm being spaced 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another.

7. An electronic switch as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

multiple series FETs in the first circuit arm being spaced 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another, and multiple shunt FETs in the second circuit arm being spaced 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another.

8. An electronic SPDT switch comprising:

a common port adapted to be switched between a first port in a first circuit arm and a second port in a second circuit arm,

one or more series FETs in the first circuit arm between the common port and the first port,

one or more shunt FETs in the second circuit arm between the common port and the second port, the shunt FETs being connected to ground, the shunt FETs being isolated 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the common port,

each of the shunt FETs being isolated 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another,

a source of bias voltage applying a first bias voltage to gates of respective FETs and to the common port, to provide a connection of the common port with the second port,

a source of control voltage applying a second bias voltage of opposite polarity to said gates,

the FETs being depletion mode FETs conducting at a zero sum of said bias voltage and said control voltage to switch said connection to a connection of the common port with the first port, and

the FETs conducting when DC power is interrupted to said sources of said first bias and first control voltages to switch said connection to a connection of the common port to the first port.

9. An electronic switch as recited in claim 8 wherein,

said common port and said first and second ports each have DC blocking capacitors.

10. An electronic switch as recited in claim 8 wherein, a 1/4 wavelength microstrip isolates the shunt FETs 90 degrees 1/4 wavelength from the common port.

11. An electronic switch as recited in claim 8 wherein, a lumped element isolates the shunt FETs 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from the common port.

12. An electronic switch as recited in claim 8 wherein, the shunt FETs are isolated 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another.

13. An electronic switch as recited in claim 8 wherein, lumped elements isolate respective shunt FETs 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another.

14. An electronic switch as recited in claim 8 wherein, 1/4 wavelength microstrip lines isolate respective shunt FETs 90 degrees or 1/4 wavelength from one another.