A Four-Bit Latching Ferrite Switch

Latching ferrites are rapidly advancing a new era of solid state devices. Fast switching, light weight, minimal drive requirements, no bulky external magnets are some of the significant characteristics of these devices. This paper deals with the application of latching ferrites to a novel approach for combining polarized input signals. Vertical, horizontal, right circularly polarized or left circularly polarized input signals are combined at a common output by selectively choosing the bit states of a four-bit latching ferrite switch. The heart of the device is a fast switching, low insertion loss, phase stable, temperature controlled, 90 degree latching bit shown in Figure 1.