en.Wedoany.com Reported - During IMS 2026, Pickering Interfaces showcased its portfolio of RF and microwave switch solutions, integrating hardware platforms with digital switch design tools. In a demonstration to everything RF, Global Business Development Manager Tom Sarfi explained that the platform helps engineers accelerate the development process of RF systems from concept to deployment.
At the core of the exhibition was a custom RF switch matrix developed for a client, integrating switches, attenuators, and couplers within the same architecture. Based on Pickering's commercial switch platform, the product balances flexibility and scalability while offering long-term product support. This hybrid solution is compatible with the company's broader product ecosystem, including PXI, PXIe, and Ethernet-based switch systems for automated testing. These platforms are suitable for RF signal routing scenarios such as 5G testing, semiconductor validation, and radar system development. The RF matrix modules can route signals between multiple instruments and devices under test, supporting frequencies up to 8 GHz, and are available in 50Ω and 75Ω configurations for telecommunications and high-frequency testing environments.
In terms of the design process, engineers can build RF switch architectures in a 2D schematic environment, browse complete part numbers from the component library, select components, simulate signal performance using S-parameter data, predict end-to-end RF behavior across entire paths, and visualize the system in 3D before production.
In a live demonstration, Sarfi showed how to create a system layout in a 2D environment, build schematics, select components, and view dimensional specifications, then simulate the RF performance of the entire signal path using S-parameter data, enabling users to evaluate system-level behavior before manufacturing. The demonstration concluded with a 3D model generated from the design. The platform addresses a key challenge in RF design—predicting cumulative losses and overall behavior of switch systems—by modeling signal paths and evaluating performance across interconnected components. The latest version of the tool adds schematic design and RF simulation capabilities, allowing users to verify electrical performance in a virtual environment before hardware manufacturing, reducing design risks and shortening development cycles.
According to Sarfi, one of Pickering's strengths lies in close collaboration with customers during the design process. Engineers can leverage the MSDT platform combined with the company's engineering team to rapidly iterate designs, from initial architecture to performance validation, ultimately resulting in a production-ready system. This integration combines design tools, standard modules, and custom engineering to support faster deployment while maintaining consistency and reliability, ensuring that custom systems align with commercial support platforms and provide 15 to 20 years of lifecycle stability.
