Peregrine Semiconductor’s UltraCMOS® Technology Enables High-Power LTE Public Safety and Military Radios

HaRP™ technology-enabled UltraCMOS devices achieve 17W of power handling with high linearity

San Diego, California, June 4, 2013  Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: PSMI), a fabless provider of high-performance radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), today announced from booth #1811 at the International Microwave Symposium in Seattle two new SP5T RF switches that enable the next generation of high-power LTE public safety and military radios. The combination of Peregrine’s UltraCMOS® and HaRP™ technologies allow the new PE42850 and PE42851 switches to achieve 17W of power handling, with high linearity. Peregrine’s innovative HaRP technology enables excellent 2fo/3fo harmonic performance of -90 dBc into a 1.15:1 VSWR in the PE42850, and -80 dBc into a 1.15:1 VSWR in the PE42851. These features, along with a high throw count, make the PE42850 and PE42851 switches ideal for transmission/receive and filter-band switching applications in Land Mobile Radios (LMRs).

 “The growing complexity of public safety applications and the need to support the challenging 700 MHz LTE spectrum are driving the need for high-linearity, small form factor RF switches,” said Mark Schrepferman, director of the communications and industrial product line for Peregrine’s High-Performance Solutions business unit. “As a result, it is increasingly difficult to implement traditional pin-diode switch solutions.

The PE42850/51 RF switches offer superior performance, with low power consumption, high linearity, and wide bandwidth in a single, small package.”

The PE42850 and PE42851 switches feature low insertion loss of (RFC-RFx) 0.25 dB typ. @ 520 MHz reduces RF signal attenuation, resulting in less heat dissipation and improved performance. The switches feature low power consumption of 130 microamperes typical, which helps to extend battery life. High ESD performance of 1.5 kV HBM eases manufacturing and results in longer product life. In addition to SP5T, the new switches can be configured as SP3T devices, giving designers the flexibility to use one switch in multiple locations, for multiple purposes throughout the RF signal chain.

Development Tool Support

Peregrine also announced availability of the PE42850 and PE42851 Evaluation Kits today. The kits can be ordered now from Peregrine’s global direct sales representatives and worldwide distribution partners.

Packaging, Pricing & Availability

The PE42850 and PE42851 RF switches are available in a 32-lead, 5 mm x 5 mm QFN package, for $13.96 each, in 10k-unit quantities. Samples and volume-production quantities of the PE42850 can be ordered today. Samples of the PE42851 can also be ordered today, with volume-production quantities expected to be available in late June. To order, contact Peregrine’s global direct sales representatives and worldwide distribution partners.

About Peregrine Semiconductor

Peregrine Semiconductor (NASDAQ: PSMI) is a fabless provider of high-performance radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). Our solutions leverage our proprietary UltraCMOS® technology, an advanced RF Silicon-On-Insulator process. Our products deliver what we believe is an industry- leading combination of performance and monolithic integration, and target a broad range of applications in the aerospace and defense, broadband, industrial, mobile wireless device, test and measurement equipment, and wireless infrastructure markets. Additional information is available at https://www.psemi.com.

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The Peregrine Semiconductor name, logo, and UltraCMOS are registered trademarks of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation in the U.S.A., and other countries. HaRP is a trademark of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation in the U.S.A., and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.