Maxim MAX4936/MAX4937 transmit/receive switches

Maxim has introduced the MAX4936/MAX4937 fully integrated octal high-voltage transmit/receive switches that integrate clamping diodes to isolate the low-voltage receive path from the high-voltage transmit path.

This integrated solution uses >50% less board space than discrete circuits while providing high bandwidth, low jitter and low signal distortion. The devices are suitable for use in ultrasound imaging and industrial flaw-detection probes, in which board space is at a premium.

They feature eight individually programmable switches controlled through an SPI interface with a 12-bit shift register and transparent latch. These features simplify device operation when updating the states of the switch. They ensure that all switches are off at power-on and they reduce noise due to clock feedthrough.

The switches are based on the conventional diode topology, but include adjustable current biasing through the serial interface. The devices are specified over the 0 to +70°C range.