From True DC to X-band, Peregrine's UltraCMOS® Technology Enables the Intelligent Integration of RF, Digital and Analog Components Onto a Single Die

SAN DIEGO and ROME, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- EUROPEAN MICROWAVE WEEK -- Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: PSMI), founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator) and pioneer of advanced RF solutions, announces the expansion of its integrated product portfolio into DC and X-band frequencies. Today, Peregrine introduces two new integrated products—a True DC switch and an X-band core chip. Built on Peregrine's UltraCMOS® technology, both products integrate RF, digital and analog components onto a single chip. While integration has traditionally offered high-volume markets the benefit of lower cost, Peregrine uses intelligent integration to offer performance advantages in high-performance markets. Peregrine's integrated products offer benefits such as configurability, flexibility, reliability, repeatability, ease-of-use, a reduced form factor and enhanced performance.  

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"From integrated switches to Global 1, Peregrine has introduced a broad range of industry-leading integrated products and technologies over our more than 25-year history," says Duncan Pilgrim, Peregrine's vice president of marketing. "Today, we continue that legacy of innovative integration with two new ground-breaking products that include RF, digital and analog components on a single die. Only Peregrine's UltraCMOS technology enables this level of integration. Utilizing our integrated solutions, our customers are now able to maximize their resources, simplify their designs and focus on delivering high-quality and high-performance products to their customers."

Low Frequency Intelligent Integration: A True DC Switch
At the lower end of the frequency spectrum, Peregrine sets a new standard with the industry's first and only RF integrated switch to achieve true DC capability. With a wide frequency range of 0 Hz to 8000 MHz, the UltraCMOS True DC switch (PE42020) effectively operates in a previously unobtainable portion of the frequency spectrum. This frequency expansion is paramount to markets that rely on accuracy and precision, such as test and measurement. The True DC SPDT switch features high power handling, 30 dBm at 0 Hz and 36 dBm at 8 GHz, and maintains excellent RF performance and linearity from DC through 8000 MHz. Moreover, it can switch DC and AC peak voltages in the range of +10V to -10V at currents of up to 80 mA, a first for this kind of product.  

On a single chip, the True DC switch integrates multiple functions:

• RF: High-performance switching
• Analog: DC tracking
• Digital: Control logic and impedance control (50-ohm absorptive or open reflective)

Another unique advantage of the True DC switch is efficient switching time. While low-frequency operation typically requires a slow switching time, the True DC switch uses advanced circuitry to remove this dependence, resulting in a 10 microsecond switching time, and a 15 microsecond settling time which is critical for test-and-measurement applications.

The PE42020 features high-linearity (IIP3) performance of 63 dBm, and high port-to-port isolation of 37 dB @ 6 GHz. It supports standard +1.8V and +3.3V control logic and operates over a temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees centigrade. The True DC switch also supports 1000V HBM ESD tolerance and is supplied in a compact 20-lead 4x4 mm QFN plastic package.

Sampling now and shipping in early 2015, the pioneering True DC switch (PE42020) is poised to replace problematic mechanical relays and MEMS switches in the test-and-measurement market.

High Frequency Intelligent Integration: An X-Band Core Chip
At the higher end of the frequency spectrum, Peregrine introduces the industry's first integrated X-band, CMOS core chip to utilize MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) design techniques, enabling highly accurate signal control with minimal power loss.  MMIC design techniques, such as Lange couplers, have only been used by III-V technologies. The use of these passive techniques on silicon has always presented a challenge due to silicon's lossy nature at higher frequencies. Peregrine solves this challenge by using an UltraCMOS sapphire substrate—a near-perfect insulating substrate that naturally lends itself to integration. With this X-band core chip, Peregrine combines standard CMOS design with passive MMIC circuitry for a truly intelligent approach to integration at microwave frequencies.

This high-performance, X-band core chip integrates the following on a single die:

• A seven-bit digital phase shifter
• A seven-bit digital step attenuator
• High isolation signal-path switching
• A compact digital serial interface control with true CMOS compatibility

The X-band segment of the frequency spectrum is used by many modern satellite and radar systems, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and phased-array radar. Applications include weather monitoring, air traffic control, defense tracking and earth observation. Peregrine's integrated chips offer a significantly reduced form factor delivering a distinct advantage within these systems that are tightly packaged within a small physical area. Additionally, Peregrine's UltraCMOS technology provides the high degree of reliability demanded by these critical applications.

Sampling in early 2015, this X-band core chip delivers the fine resolution and degree of control that is critical for radar applications. The chip offers a maximum power handling of +18 dBm from 9-10.1 GHz and covers 31.75 dB attenuation range in 0.25 dB steps. The phase shifter offers 358 degrees of phase range with a resolution of 7 degrees. It maintains high attenuation and phase accuracy over frequency and temperature and exhibits low power consumption.

For more information, please visit www.psemi.com/intelligentintegration or visit the intelligent integration online press kit.

USE OF FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our management's future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans and prospects. Such statements constitute "forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The achievement of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements could be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our dependence on a limited number of customers for a substantial portion of our revenues; intellectual property risks; intense competition in our industry; our ability to develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis and achieve market acceptance of those products; consumer acceptance of our customers' products that incorporate our solutions; our lack of long-term supply contracts and dependence on limited sources of supply; and potential decreases in average selling prices for our products.

For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Peregrine's business, please refer to the filings that we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including those set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2013, which should be read in conjunction with these financial results. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at http://investors.psemi.com/. Please also note that forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information, becomes available in the future.

ABOUT PEREGRINE SEMICONDUCTOR
Peregrine Semiconductor (NASDAQ: PSMI), founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator), is a leading fabless provider of high-performance, integrated RF solutions. Since 1988 Peregrine and its founding team have been perfecting UltraCMOS® technology – a patented, advanced form of SOI – to deliver the performance edge needed to solve the RF market's biggest challenges, such as linearity. With products that deliver best-in-class performance and monolithic integration, Peregrine is the trusted choice for market leaders in automotive, broadband, industrial, Internet of Things, military, mobile devices, smartphones, space, test-and-measurement equipment and wireless infrastructure. Peregrine holds more than 180 filed and pending patents and has shipped more than 2 billion UltraCMOS units. For more information, visit http://www.psemi.com .