As an isolator supplier, one of Smiths Interconnect|TRAK’s core capabilities is the design of high performance loads terminations and attenuators. Smiths Interconnect|TRAK’s loads, terminations and attenuators are routinely integrated into its low and high power isolators and also and as stand-alone components.
All loads are carefully designed based on customer supplied system constraints (peak and average power, base plate temperature etc) and thermally and mechanically simulated to ensure that under the worst combination of effects that Smiths Interconnect|TRAK loads perform flawlessly with a factor of safety designed to balance cost and mass.
Our load technology is used from DC to 31 GHz and while most are employed to terminate the 3rd port of coaxial circulators we also supply stand-alone high performance packaged loads and terminations to 300W average. Our attenuators operate to 10 GHz and are available to 10W of average power.
Smiths Interconnect|TRAK employs several load technologies internally and where requirements dictate as stand alone products. The choice of load depends on many factors including operating frequency, RF power and customer preference. Typical load types for coaxial and stripline/microstrip applications include resistive, absorptive and combination types which means that Smiths Interconnect|TRAK can produce RF terminations with dc resistances of zero, 50 and 10 MOhm values.
Our loads and terminations are each thoroughly designed and optimised using finite element analysis using super accurate models provided by our supplier of choice Smiths Interconnect|EMC.
Choice of termination or attenuators can be complicated by the frequency*power product. Generally as the frequency increases it becomes challenging to handle high average power. For this reason Smiths Interconnect|TRAK recommends EMC Diamond RF products whose superior performance we find second to none.
Smiths Interconnect|TRAK has heritage supplying high power isolators with integrated chip terminations operating to 30 GHz using a range of chip types and sizes including the latest CVD film terminations that are particularly suited to operating at higher frequencies.
Terminations as stand-alone components have been supplied to 20 GHz in a variety of packages and are typically used as remote loads for circulators or on couplers and mechanical switches.
