Menlo Micro releases loopback switch with DC to 20 GHz range and -2.7dB insertion loss at 20 GHz

Menlo Microsystems, Inc. has announced the release of its MM5625 high-speed differential loopback switch at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) in San Francisco, CA. Building off previous Menlo Micro loopback products, the MM5625 is optimized for asymmetric SerDes bus testing, supports 80Gbps PAM4 data rates required for emerging SerDes standards, and provides RF performance across all 12 ports.

Based on Menlo Micro’s Ideal Switch technology, the MM5625 follows the MM5620 loopback relay introduced in 2023. Menlo Micro’s loopback switch technology has been adopted by suppliers of GPUs for AI, APUs for mobile, and other high-performance compute (HPC) platforms. The device addresses testing challenges with asymmetric SerDes buses, which have one TX port connected to two RX ports, or vice versa. By increasing the RF bandwidth across all 12 channels and providing 128 possible control states, the MM5625 enables test coverage for high-performance semiconductor devices.

Applications include IC wafer sort, final test, and test equipment for datacenter/AI GPU/CPU, APU, re-timers, network processors, and high-speed memory products. The MM5625 operates from DC to 20 GHz range with an insertion loss of -2.7dB at 20 GHz. The device features DP3T (differential mode) with Loopback Mode and 12 interconnected high-speed ports.

The switch provides 128 different connection schemes and includes an integrated charge pump driver, eliminating external biasing circuitry requirements. The device offers reliability ratings greater than 3 billion switching operations and comes in an 8.2 x 8.2 mm LGA surface-mount package.