
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 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.