High performance switches for
microwave and RF instrumentation
and systems
Agilent Technologies offers a versatile
line of multiport coaxial switches. These
50 Ω mechanical-latching switches
come with the performance and reliability that you have come to expect in
Agilent microwave accessories.
Offering excellent electrical and
mechanical performance with broadband operation, high isolation, low
SWR, long life, and exceptional
repeatability, these switches are
designed with your applications in
mind. Frequency ranges are available
to 4 GHz and 18 GHz for the A and B
models with SMA connectors and to
26.5 GHz for the C models with APC-
3.5 connectors.
The 8762A, 8762B, and 8762C
(Figure 1) are single-pole doublethrow switches with high isolation,
> 100 dB at 4 GHz for the A model,
> 90 dB at 18 GHz for the B model
and > 50 dB at 26.5 GHz for the C
model. All models terminate the
unused port with 50 Ω, a key feature
for your applications where low SWR
is required on all ports.
The 8763A, 8763B, and 8763C
(Figure 2) have 4 RF ports with one
internal 50 Ω termination designed
for applications requiring a transfer
switch or a cross switching element.
Agilent 8762/3/4A,B,C
Coaxial Switches
Product Overview
Figure 1. Agilent 8762 Figure 2. Agilent 8763
2
The 8764A, 8764B, and 8764C
(Figure 3) round out the family with
5 RF ports, giving you flexibility to
configure the switch for your specific
needs.
Applications
Multi-source switching
The 8762A, 8762B or 8762C is an
excellent choice for applications
where you require selection of
multiple signal sources, frequency
counters, or signal control devices
such as modulators or filters, or
routing signals from multiple
sources as shown in Figure 4.
Transfer switching
For applications requiring a “transfer
switch,” as shown in Figure 5, an
8763A, B, or C is the ideal choice to
insert a component, such as a filter or
mixer, into a signal path. Another popular use is to switch between a device
under test and a through path for
system calibration. The 8763A,B,C’s
internal load can terminate the device
under test when in the through mode
(up to 1 watt).
Reverse signal path
Figure 6 shows how an 8762 and
8764 may be used to provide a
“transceiver” configuration. This
example illustrates how one amplifier
can be used to transmit or receive.
Any application where the signal
path direction needs to be reversed
could use this configuration.
Figure 3. Agilent 8764
Figure 4. Multi-source switching
Figure 5. Agilent 8763 used as a transfer
switch (equivalent circuit action)
Figure 6. Signal reversal
Port 4
Solenoid
drive pin #2
(-)(+)
Port 5
Solenoid
drive pin #1
(-)
Port 1
Port 2
Common
drive pin
Pivot
armature
Port 3
Signal
in
2
Device
4
1
Signal
out
3
8762
Solenoid
drive pin #1
(-)
Common
drive pin
Pivot
armature
Solenoid
drive pin #2
(-)(+)
Solenoid
drive pin #1
(-)
8764
Common
drive pin
Pivot
armature
Solenoid
drive pin #2
(-)(+)
Signal
source A
Signal
source B
8762B
To receiver
1
C
50Ω
4
2
50Ω
1
3
2
5
3
Portable and remote applications
Due to their small package size, light
weight, low power consumption, and
high reliability, these switches are
ideal for your portable or remote
applications. The light weight and
repeatability make them well suited
for portable spectrum analyzers and
other portable microwave test equipment. Their 1,000,000 cycle life make
them the ideal candidate for system
design, such as communications
repeaters or remote monitoring stations that demand minimal maintenance. The switch’s automatic coil
disconnect feature and low current
drain during switching minimize the
amount of power needed for operating the switches.
Dedicated switching
For larger switching systems, where
many switches will be used to provide
complex signal routing, a switch driver such as the 87130A or 70611A is
recommended. The 87130A rack-andstack switch driver and the MMSbased 70611A are convenient, flexible
interface bus (GPIB) or modular systems interface bus (MS-IB) switch
controllers, providing driver circuitry,
indicator readback circuitry and
firmware that makes it easy to
integrate switch components into
a switching system. Controlling the
87130A is simple using either a PC or
workstation based GPIB controller
and Agilent Interactive Test
Generator (Agilent-ITG) or Agilent
Visual Engineering Environment
(Agilent VEE). The 70611A gives
manual control via the MMS user
interface or can also be controlled
via an GPIB equipped PC or
workstation.
In addition, the built-in firmware
makes it possible to define often used
switch paths. With the path command, macros can be designed which
open and close the right solenoids to
select the desired switch port, and
the path may be given a meaningful
name. Remember that only one select
pin should be activated at one time to
prevent rapid cycling of the switch.
Both the 87130A and 70611A provide
position monitoring and reporting,
which make it possible for a program
to determine if all the switches are in
their proper state (position) before the
program continues with testing. A
programmable wake up condition
makes it possible to ensure that the
matrix or switching system starts up
in a predetermined state, to prevent
damage to delicate equipment from
excessive power. This would also be
the state that the system returns to
after a power interruption.
Accessory cables and adapters make
it easy to quickly get the 8762/3/4
working with the 87130A or 70611A.
Reference literature number 59632038E, Switch Attenuator Driver
Configuration Guide.
For smaller switching needs, the
11713A attenuator/switch controller
provides simple GPIB control for up
to ten 8762/3/4 switches. Connecting
cables can be ordered which make it
easy to connect the switches to the
11713A.
4
Operation and use
How the switch works
All the switches are “break before
make;” the switched ports are not
connected to each other preventing
possible damage to sensitive circuits.
The standard configuration switch
uses 24 Vdc for the switching voltage,
Option 876xx-011
1
specifies a voltage
of 5 Vdc, and Option 876xx-015 specifies 15 Vdc. Options 876xx-T15 and
876xx-T24 are TTL/5V CMOS compatible with 15 Vdc and 24 Vdc drive
respectively.
Driving the switch
For standard, Options 876xx-011 and
876xx-015 switches, switching is
accomplished by applying the supply
voltage to pin “C” and grounding the
appropriate pin to actuate the switching mechanism. Avoid grounding both RF
path select pins as rapid cycling may
occur. After the switch is fully latched
(30 ms), the drive current is automatically disconnected. If the drive circuit is pulsed, the pulse duration
must be at least 30 ms to ensure that
the switch will fully latch. For TTL/5
volt CMOS compatible drive (Options
876xx-T24 and 876xx-T15), apply the
supply voltage to pin “C,” and ground
to pin #1. Switch positions by applying a TTL “high” or TTL “low” to pin
#2 as needed. See Table 1.
Remote indication (TTL options excluded)
The position of the switch may be
determined by utilizing the open and
closed states of the internal coil contacts. Figure 7 displays two indicator
circuits, one to provide a TTL output
and one that directly activates an
LED. The circuits will output a TTL
“HI” and LED “on” if the switch is in
the state shown in Figure 7. When
drive pin 1 contact is closed (as
shown), RF port 2 is connected to
common port. For the Agilent 8763/4,
see Figures 2, 3, and Table 1 for corresponding RF port connections. The
circuits shown are designed to operate with coil voltage of 24 V. If other
voltage switches are used, the circuit
components must be modified to
accommodate that voltage.
Since current is drawn through the
solenoid for these indicator circuits,
inadvertent switching is prevented by
limiting the current to 5 mA. Additional
design information may be required
from the component manufacturer for
the circuits described in Figure 7,
depending upon specific applications.
Agilent Technologies assumes no
responsibility for use of any circuits
described herein, and makes no representations or warranties, expressed or
implied, that such circuits are free
from patent infringements.
Figure 7. TTL and LED remote indicator circuits
1. Where xx = 2A, 3A, 4A, 2B, 3B, 4B, 2C, 3C, or 4C.
Standard drive TTL drive
1
Model number Pin 1 Pin 2 Pin 2
2
RF path
8762A/B/C Ground Open TTL high 1 to C closed
2 terminated
Open Ground TTL low 2 to C closed
1 terminated
8763A/B/C Ground Open TTL high 1 to 2 closed
3 to 4 closed
Open Ground TTL low 1 terminated
2 to 3 closed
4 open
8764A/B/C Ground Open TTL high 1 open
2 to 3 closed
4 to 5 closed
Open Ground TTL low 1 to 2 closed
3 to 4 closed
5 open
5
Table 1. Switching logic table
Figure 8. Control voltage states
1. Pin 1 is always at ground.
2. See Figure 8 for control voltage states.
7.0V
Absolute max input
HIGH
3.0V
0.4V
Minimum on state
Maximum off state
LOW
0.0V
6
Specifications
Agilent model numbers 8762A 8762B 8762C
8763A 8763B 8763C
8764A 8764B 8764C
Frequency range dc to 4 GHz dc to 18 GHz dc to 26.5 GHz
Insertion loss < 0.20 dB, dc to 2 GHz < 0.20 dB, dc to 2 GHz < 0.25 dB, dc to 2 GHz
< 0.25 dB, 2 to 4 GHz < 0.50 dB, 2 to 18 GHz < 0.50 dB, 2 to 18 GHz
< 1.25 dB, 18 to 26.5 GHz
Isolation > 100 dB, dc to 4 GHz > 90 dB, dc to 18 GHz > 90 dB, dc to 18 GHz
between ports > 50 dB, 18 to 26.5 GHz
SWR through line < 1.10, dc to 2 GHz < 1.10, dc to 2 GHz < 1.15, dc to 2 GHz
< 1.20, 2 to 4 GHz < 1.20, 2 to 12.4 GHz < 1.25, 2 to 12.4 GHz
< 1.30, 12.4 to 18 GHz < 1.40, 12.4 to 18 GHz
< 1.80, 18 to 26.5 GHz
Into internal < 1.10, dc to 2 GHz < 1.10, dc to 2 GHz < 1.15, dc to 2 GHz
50Ω load < 1.20, 2 to 4 < 1.20, 2 to 12.4 GHz < 1.25, 2 to 12.4 GHz
(8762s and 8763s) < 1.30, 12.4 to 18 GHz
< 1.80, 18 26.5 GHz
Connectors SMA (f) SMA (f) 3.5 mm (f)
Insertion loss repeatability
dc to 18 GHz 0.03 dB maximum 0.03 dB maximum 0.03 dB maximum
18 to 26.5 GHz 0.5 dB maximum
(Up to 1,000,000 cycles measured at 25 °C)
General operating data
Maximum power rating 1 watt average; 100 watts peak (not to exceed average power rating); +7 Vdc
Life 1,000,000 cycles minimum
Switching solenoid Switching speed 30 ms maximum
Switch drive data
Parameter Test conditions Minimum Nominal Maximum Units
Supply voltage
Option 876xx-024 or 876xx-T24 20 24 32 V
Options 876xx-015/876xx-T15 12 15 20 V
Option 876xx-011 4.5 5 7 V
Supply current Switching; pulse width ≥ 30 ms maximum
Option 876xx-024 or 876xx-T24 @ Vcc = 24 Vdc 120 mA
Option 876xx-015/876xx-T15 @ Vcc = 15 Vdc 182 mA
Option 876xx-011 @ Vcc = 5 Vdc 400 mA
Impedance
Option 876xx-024 or 876xx-T24 200 ohm
127 mH
Option 876xx-015, Option 876xx-T15 82 ohm
57 mH
Option 876xx-011 13 ohm
8mH
Options 876xx-T15 and 876xx-T24
High-level input 3 V
Low-level input 0.4 V
Max high input current Vcc = Max 300 µA
V
input
= 7.0 Vdc
Supply current (quiescent) V
input
= 0.0 2.0 mA
V
input
= 7.0 50 µA
7
Environmental
Operating Humidity Vibration Shock
temperature 95% RH, 40 °C, 0.05”, 50 g's,
–25 to +75 °C 5 days 10 to 55 Hz 3 ms
Physical specifications
Dimensions: Per Figure 9
Weight: 245 g (9 oz.)
Dimensions in millimeters and (inches)
Figure 9. Product outlines
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© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2001, 2002
Printed in USA, September 23, 2002
5952-1873E
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