Menlo Microsystems, Inc. (Menlo Micro), the company responsible for bringing to market the greatest electronic component innovation since the transistor with its Ideal Switch® technology, introduced a new six-channel single-pole/single-throw (6x SPST) switch. The MM1200 provides the highest density AC/DC switching device with the lowest DC power consumption for applications that require highly repeatable and reliable switch operations in space-constrained medical, industrial, and test and measurement applications.

Built on Menlo Micro’s market-proven Ideal Switch technology, the MM1200 switch provides a superior replacement for electromechanical signal relays (EMRs) and Reed relays in high-density switching applications. The MM1200 is capable of 1.0 A per channel steady state while delivering stable on-state contact resistance and high off-state isolation. With more than 3 billion switching cycles and ultra-fast switching times (below 10 µs), each MM1200 channel is normally open and individually controlled by a serial peripheral interface bus. The device is easily reconfigurable enabling multiple switch configurations, such as dual SP3T and triple 2P2T.

“Developers of scientific, medical, and test equipment are seeking new and innovative ways to reduce the cost and complexity of their systems and shrink board space and component count,” said Chris Giovanniello, co-founder and senior vice president of marketing at Menlo Micro. “We’ve expanded our Ideal Switch portfolio with the production release of a new high-performance, highly integrated SPST switch that offers best-in-class switching speeds and reliability. The MM1200 switch enables developers to meet their size, weight, power, and cost targets for a wide range of demanding high-density signal switching applications.”

The MM1200 SPST is the fifth product released to the market based on Menlo Micro’s patented Ideal Switch technology, unique characteristics include:

  • Extreme Reliability: MM1200 provides unmatched reliability when compared to conventional EMRs, with over 3 billion switching cycles, resulting in reduced downtime, maintenance and replacement cost
  • Compact design: MM1200’s small-footprint and low-profile design features a custom-designed, integrated driver built into a miniature 6 mm x 6 mm BGA package, eliminating the need for external components, simplifying customer layouts and reducing BOM cost
  • Superior device physics: MM1200 has ultra-stable 1 Ω contact resistance over cycles and over temperature as well as femto-Farad off capacitance, enabling new performance for system designers
  • Power efficiency: MM1200 operates at less than 10 mW, a significant reduction in power consumption compared to EMRs, making it the most energy-efficient signal relay available.