Keysight (Agilent) 87406B Product Overview

Modern automated test systems
demand higher accuracy and per­formance than ever before. The
Agilent Technologies 87406B matrix
switch offers improvements in inser­tion loss repeatability and isolation
necessary to achieve higher test sys­tem performance. Long life, excellent
repeatability, and high reliability low­ers the cost of ownership by reducing
calibration cycles and increasing test
system uptime that are vital to ATS
measurement system integrity.

Description

The 87406B matrix switch provides
the life and reliability required for
automated test and measurement, sig­nal monitoring, and routing applica­tions. Innovative design and careful
process control creates a switch that
meets the requirements for highly
repeatable switching elements in test
instruments and switching interfaces.
The switch is designed to operate for
more than 10 million cycles and will
meet all electrical specifications for at
least 5 million cycles.

High performance matrix switch
for RF and microwave test
systems

• 3 x 3, 2 x 4, and 1 x 5 blocking
matrix configurations

• Magnetic latching

• Make-before-break or
break-before-make operation

• Exceptional repeatability for
more than 5 million cycles

• Excellent isolation, typically
>100 dB at 20 GHz

• Opto-electronic indicators
and interrupts

• Terminated ports

• TTL/5V CMOS compatible (optional)

The switch exhibits exceptional inser­tion loss repeatability. This reduces
sources of random errors in the
measurement path and improves
measurement uncertainty. Switch life
is a critical consideration in produc­tion test systems, satellite and antenna
monitoring systems, and test instru­mentation. The longevity of the switch
increases system uptime, and lowers
the cost of ownership by reducing cal­ibration cycles and switch maintenance.

Agilent 87406B

Coaxial Matrix Switch
dc to 20 GHz

Product Overview

2

Operating to 20 GHz, this switch
exhibits the exceptional isolation per­formance required to maintain meas­urement integrity. Isolation between
ports is typically >100 dB to 20 GHz.
This reduces the influence of signals
from other channels, sustains the
integrity of the measured signal, and
reduces system measurement uncer­tainties. This switch also minimizes
measurement uncertainty with low
insertion loss and reflection, which
makes it an ideal element in large,
multi-tiered switching systems.

The 87406B is designed to fall within
most popular industry footprints.
The 2

1

/4 inch square flange provides
mounting holes, while the rest of the
2

1

/2 inch long by 21/4 inch diameter
body will easily fit into most systems.
Ribbon cable or optional solder termi­nal connections accommodate the
need for secure and efficient control
cable attachment. Option 100 pro­vides solder terminal connections in
place of the 16-pin ribbon drive cable.
Option 100 does not incorporate the
“open all paths” feature.

Opto-electronic interrupts and indica­tors improve reliability and extend
the life of the switch by eliminating
DC circuit contact failures character­istic of conventional electromechanical
switches. This switch has an inter­rupt circuit that provides logic to
open all but the selected ports, then
closes the selected ports and the
current to all the solenoids is then
cut off. This switch also offers
independent indicators that are
controlled by optical interrupts in
the switch. The indicators provide a
connection between the indicator
common pin and the corresponding
sense pin of the selected port.

All unselected RF ports are terminated
with 50 ohm loads.

5

4

3

6

1

2

▲

▲

▲

▲

▲

▲

654321

Figure 1. Agilent 87406B connection diagram and simplified schematic
(RF path 4 to 1 shown)

3

Applications

Matrix signal routing

Figures 2 and 3 show the 87406B
configured for blocking 2 x 4 and
3 x 3 applications. With outstanding
repeatability and life greater than
5 million cycles, these switches
enhance measurement confidence
and reduce cost of ownership. In
addition, the matrix switch has the
versatility to provide single pole mul­tiple throw signal routing up to 1 x 5
(SP5T). For applications requiring
only single pole multiple throw sig­nal routing, the 87104 and 87106
series high performance switches
are recommended.

Information on switch drivers can be
found on page 9 of this document.
For additional information, request
publication number 5963-2038E,

Agilent 70611A, 87130A, and 11713A
Switch and Attenuator Driver
Configuration Guide.

General operation

The 87406B matrix switch consists of
6 ports which can be individually con­nected via internal microwave switches
to form an RF path (see Figure 4).
When control inputs are sent to the
switch, the internal diode logic and
position sensing circuitry routes cur­rent to the appropriate solenoids to
close or open the microwave switches
based on the input state. The position
sensing circuitry utilizes opto-elec­tronic components to determine the
position of the individual internal
microwave switches. Each internal
microwave switch has two solenoids:
one to select or close the RF port, and
one to unselect or open the RF port.

Each solenoid requires 200 mA @ 24
VDC nominal. The position sensing
circuits serve three purposes: to
enable solenoids that need to be
switched, to interrupt the solenoid
current once the individual internal
microwave switch is closed or
opened, and to power the position
indicator circuits. The solenoid cur­rent is interrupted once the switching
solenoids are magnetically latched.
The drive current then returns to the
standby level that is required by the
opto-electronic components. When a
control input is applied, all RF ports
that have no enabling control input
are automatically opened by the
internal logic circuitry.

To configure a desired RF path, two
ports must be engaged which requires
a control input for each port to be
maintained. If the input is removed
from either port, that port will be
automatically opened by the internal
logic circuitry. All of the “open”
solenoids are internally connected to
pin 16 via diode logic circuitry
(Option 161 and T24 only). If no
input is present at any of the port
select pins (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13), all of
the RF ports will be opened if pin 16
is selected.

6

1

2

3

4

5

5

4

3

6

1

2

6

1

2

4

5

5

4

3

6

1

2

3

Figure 2. Matrix switch configured for a
2 x 4 blocking application (RF Path 5 to 2
shown)

SOLENOID

DRIVE

MICROWAVE

SWITCHES

LOGIC

CIRCUIT

OPTICAL

POSITION

SENSING

POSITION

INDICATORS

DC

CONTROL

INPUT

RF PORTS

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
16

2
4
6
8
10
12
14

Figure 3. Matrix switch configured for a
3 x 3 blocking application (RF Path 5 to 1
shown)

Figure 4. Agilent 87406B block diagram

4

General operation (cont.)

Input applied to port select pins (3, 5,
7, 9, 11, 13) while pin 16 is selected
will override the signal on pin 16 and
close the respective ports. On stan­dard switches, pin 16 can be perma­nently connected to ground to allow
the switch to open all RF ports at
power up (assuming no input is pres­ent at any of the port select pins). Not
available with Options 100 or T24.

If pin 15 is not grounded, the logic circuit
will not operate as expected, and damage
to the switch will occur.

Driving the switch

DC power connection

• Connect pin 1 to supply (+20 VDC
to +32 VDC)

• Connect pin 15 to chassis ground
to enable the electronic position­indicating circuitry and drive logic
circuitry.

WARNING: DAMAGE to switch will occur
if pin 15 is not grounded.

RF Path Selection
To connect any two RF ports, apply control
signal to the corresponding drive pins as
shown below.

Table 1. Agilent 87406B RF port drive
pin control data (see figure 8 for drive
connection diagrams.)

Using Table 1, select (close) the desir­ed RF path by connecting ground
(Option 024 and Option 100) or
applying TTL “High” (Option T24)
to the corresponding “drive” pins.

Unselect (open) RF paths by discon­necting ground (Option 024 and
Option 100) or applying TTL “Low”
(Option T24) to the corresponding
“drive” pins.

Example: Configure the RF path from port 2
to port 5

Using the data in Table 1, select pins
5 and 11 while ensuring no other pins
are selected.

RF Port 65432

1 3, 13 3, 11 3, 9 3, 7 3, 5
2 5, 13 5, 11 5, 9 5, 7
3 7, 13 7, 11 7, 9
4 9, 13 9, 11
5 11, 13

RF Port 123456Open all*

Drive pin 3579111316
Option 024, Option 100 U G U U G U X**
Options T24, 100 L H L L H L X**

U = Ungrounded, G = Grounded, L = TTL “Low”, H = TTL “High”, X = Don’t care

* “Open All Ports” is not available with Option 100 or Option T24.
** “Open all RF Ports” feature is overridden by port selection.