METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING A SWITCH, SUCH AS A MEMS SWITCH, AND TO A MEMS SWITCH INCLUDING SUCH A PROTECTION APPARATUS

A method of and apparatus for protecting a MEMS switch is provided. The method and apparatus improve the integrity of MEMS switches by reducing their vulnerability to current flow through them during switching of the MEMS switch between on and off or vice versa. The protection circuit provides for a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Fitzgerald, Padraig, Carty, Eric James
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 10.01.2019
Subjects
BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRIC SWITCHES
ELECTRICITY
EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
GENERATION
RELAYS
SELECTORS
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Summary:A method of and apparatus for protecting a MEMS switch is provided. The method and apparatus improve the integrity of MEMS switches by reducing their vulnerability to current flow through them during switching of the MEMS switch between on and off or vice versa. The protection circuit provides for a parallel path, known as a shunt, around the MEMS component. However, components within the shunt circuit can themselves be removed from the shunt when they are not required. This improves the electrical performance of the shunt when the switch is supposed to be in an off state.
Bibliography:Application Number: US201816035538