Peregrine 50-Ohm RF Switch Offers Ultra-linear DC-6GHz Operation; PE42555 Only Device to Eliminate Phase and IL Drift after Switching Event.

SAN DIEGO -- Peregrine Semiconductor, a supplier of the industry's most advanced RF CMOS integrated circuits, today announced availability of the RoHS-compliant PE42555 50-Ohm switch for high-performance broadband RF applications such as cellular infrastructure, WiMAX and high-precision RF applications. Manufactured on Peregrine's revolutionary HaRP(TM)-enhanced UltraCMOS(TM) technology, the Single-Pole, Double-Throw (SPDT) device operates with exceptional linearity from DC to 6.0 GHz, pushing the upper limits for broadband performance past standard competitive devices. A proprietary design feature enables the device to eliminate the phase and insertion loss drift that occurs after a switching event, making the PE42555 the industry's fastest SPDT RF switch to reach a fully settled state.

"The PE42555 is Peregrine's commercial version of a RF IC designed for a large strategic customer in a technically challenging application. They chose UltraCMOS for its ability to deliver unprecedented linearity up to 6 GHz, while maintaining all the extraordinary performance results in isolation, stability and ease-of-use," said Rodd Novak, Peregrine's Vice-President of Marketing. "By making this device available to the general RF population, design problems will be solved," he added.

Like all UltraCMOS HaRP-enhanced devices, the PE42555 features ultra-fast settling time, which allows systems to respond faster without a reduction in RF performance. A typical GaAs-based switch has a well-known gate lag in settling time which is not usually defined in its operational specification. This lag, which develops a phase and insertion loss drift, is non-existent on the UltraCMOS-based PE42555.

The device also delivers low insertion loss (0.65 dB @ 3.5 GHz and 0.90 dB @ 6 GHz); high IIP3 (greater than 50 dBm DC-6 GHz); P1dB compression point of 34 dBm (DC-6 GHz); and high isolation (27 dB @ 3.5 GHz and 21 dB @ 6.0 GHz).

The PE42555 is available in the 4x4mm 20-lead QFN package and is priced at $0.81 in 10K quantity orders. Products samples and volume production are available now through Peregrine's global sales representatives and its worldwide distribution partner, Richardson Electronics.

About UltraCMOS(TM) Technology

UltraCMOS(TM) mixed-signal process technology is a patented variation of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology on a sapphire substrate providing with high yields and competitive costs. This technology delivers significant performance advantages over competing processes such as GaAs, SiGe BiCMOS and bulk silicon CMOS in applications where RF performance, low power and integration are paramount.

About Peregrine Semiconductor

Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance communications ICs for the wireless infrastructure and mobile wireless; broadband communications; space, defense and avionics markets. Manufactured on the Company's proprietary UltraCMOS(TM) mixed-signal process technology, Peregrine products are uniquely poised to meet the needs of a global RF design community in high-growth applications such as WCDMA and GSM digital cellular, broadband, DTV, DVR and rad-hard space and defense programs. Peregrine 0.25um and 0.5um UltraCMOS devices are manufactured in its 6" CMOS facility located in Sydney, Australia and in Tokyo, Japan through an alliance with OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd. The Company, headquartered in San Diego, California, maintains global sales support operations and a worldwide technical distribution network. Additional information is available on the web at psemi.com. Contact Peregrine's worldwide distribution partner, Richardson Electronics (NASDAQ:RELL), for sales information at 1-800-737-6937.

The Peregrine Semiconductor name, logo and UTSi are registered trademarks and UltraCMOS and HaRP are trademarks of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.