Patent ID: 7733134
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
1. A high speed low noise switch, comprising: a noise source electrically connected to an upstream radio frequency signal source; a noise suppression circuit comprising at least one field effect transistor operably connected to ground and electrically connected to the noise source; and a switch driver electrically connected to the noise suppression circuit and a solid state output switch, wherein the switch driver comprises two transistors of a class of high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) field effect transistors, wherein the switch driver provides a high to low impedance match between a high impedance output of a limiting amplifier and a low transient impedance of the gate capacitance of the output switch, wherein the at least one field effect transistor of the noise suppression circuit is turned on when the upstream radio frequency signal source is absent, wherein when the at least one field effect transistor of the noise suppression circuit is on, the at least one field effect transistor of the noise suppression circuit pulls a gate of one of the two transistors of the switch driver low and clamps the switch driver output to ground, and wherein the high speed low noise switch operates independently of a negative voltage supply.