Just like New Electronics, Pickering Electronics, the manufacturer of high-quality reed relays, is also celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. Pickering Electronics was founded in 1968 by the late John Moore. Five decades later its future is looking bright, with sales in 2017 up by 30% on the previous year.

“Fifty years of designing, manufacturing and distributing reed relays means that we have a very good understanding of the product we are selling and consider ourselves to be the leaders in reed relay technology,” said Graham Dale, technical director at Pickering Electronics.

“Since 1968, we have gradually evolved our reed relays from very large, relatively crude parts to the small, ultra-reliable parts we have today. Production methods and quality systems have improved a great deal over that time, and costs have been radically reduced.

“When I started designing reed relays in the late 1970s some were saying that these electromechanical devices would have a limited lifetime. Instead, the market for high-quality reed relays has increased into areas that were inconceivable in those days.”

In 1983 Pickering Electronics established SoftCenter technology and former-less coil construction, setting it apart from other reed relay manufacturers. SoftCenter protects the sensitive glass/metal seal of the reed switch capsule, thereby increasing contact resistance stability and improving the life expectation of the relay. Former-less coil construction maximises magnetic drive and increases packing density.

Pickering has now become renowned for designing reed relays for high-density applications. Just last year the company released what is claimed to be the world’s smallest footprint reed relay — the Series 120 4 mm² — switching up to 1 A while stacking on a 4 x 4 mm pitch. And right now, a lower profile version, Series 124 on the same footprint but measuring just 9.5mm high, is being introduced. 

The Pickering Group now comprises two privately owned companies: Pickering Electronics, a specialist in reed relay design and manufacture, and Pickering Interfaces, which since 1988 has been designing and manufacturing modular signal switching and simulation for switching systems. The group employs over 380 people worldwide, with manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic along with additional representation in countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australasia.

So happy birthday New Electronics, and happy birthday Pickering!

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Tiny footprint relays feature very fast operate and release times making them ideal for high speed test systems.

Pickering Electronics, the reed relay company which has pioneered miniaturisation and high performance for over 50 years, has announced industry’s smallest reed relay. The Series 124 is part of Pickering’s new ultra-high density 4mm^2 TM product line, which takes up the minimum board area of only 4mm x 4mm, allowing the highest packing density possible. Series 124 relays are also the lowest profile on the 4 x 4mm footprint, measuring just 9.5mm high.  Devices are currently available in 1 Form A (energize to make) with options of 3 or 5 volt coils.

Series 124 reed relays feature a sputtered ruthenium switch rated at 5 watts, 0.5 amps. These are the same reed switches as used in the long-established Pickering Series 111, 111P and 117 but are orientated vertically within the package, facilitating such high density.

The relays boast very fast operate times, typically 80µs, making them ideal for high speed test systems, and due to the incredibly small size they are also suitable for very high-density applications such as A.T.E. and Semiconductor switching matrices or multiplexers. 

These single pole relays are the second series to be launched within Pickering’s new ultra-high-density product line – Series 120 devices were released at Semicon West last year, rated up to a 1.0 Amp at 20 Watts, but with a higher profile height of 15.5mm.

To learn more about these ultra-high-density 4mm^2 TM reed relays visit www.pickeringrelay.com, or visit Pickering in booth #6373 at Semicon West, July 10 – 12, 2018 in the Moscone Center, San Francisco.

You can view the original article here>>.

Last year, Pickering Interfaces, the manufacturer of  modular signal switching and simulation products for use in electronic test and verification, launched a new generation of 1 amp PXI matrices that delivers twice the density of competing modules. One of the key components in any module of this type is the switching element – the reed relay – and it was developments made by sister company Pickering Electronics to its reed relay product range that has enabled Pickering Interfaces to get a performance advantage over its rivals.

Unlike the age-old chicken/egg conundrum, (NB: it was the egg), there is no disputing which Pickering company came first. Pickering Electronics began producing reed relays in 1968; Pickering Interfaces was formed in the mid 1980s to broaden the company’s product portfolio when it appeared that solid state relays might eventually supersede reed and electromechanical products. It has transpired though that over 30 years later, the applications for reed relays has not declined. Pickering Interfaces has grown to become a leader in its field, claiming to offer the largest range of switching and simulation products in the industry for PXI, LXI, and PCI applications. Pickering’s products are specified in test systems installed throughout the world and have a reputation for providing excellent reliability and value.

The company’s latest product is the BRIC™ ultra-high-density large PXI matrix range (model 40-559), robust 1 amp/20 watt switching modules, with up to 4,096 crosspoints. The matrices are available in 2, 4, or 8-slot PXI sizes and are designed for high-performance matrix requirements. They are used in many industries including automotive ECU and semiconductor package testing. Keith Moore, CEO at Pickering Interfaces, claims that the new BRIC PXI matrices “deliver twice the density of any competing module” – similar-sized offerings from close competitors “can only claim around 0.3 amp/3 watts”, he adds.

The key to this significant increase in capability is Pickering Electronics’ continual innovation of the reed relay. Despite advances by electromechanical relays – which can be cheaper but are slower and shorter-lived  than reeds – and solid state switches – which are faster than reeds but which suffer from having a lower insulation resistance, a higher capacitance and path resistance – “reed relays are still the critical building block for PXI matrices”, claims Moore.

Over the years, Pickering Electronics has pioneered several developments in reed relay design. One was the incorporation of a Mu-metal magnetic screen which enables relays to be packed very tightly together without risking operational failure due to magnetic interaction with adjacent relays. To this day still, some competitor’s products are unscreened.

Another development introduced by Pickering Electronics is the use of a former-less coil construction. Having a self-supporting coil dispenses with the supporting bobbin commonly found in competing reed relays. This increases the space available for coil winding by about 50% greatly improving magnetic efficiency. It also enables further product miniaturisation.

When designing its new BRIC PXI matrix range, Pickering Interfaces wanted to create a product that would enable a complete Functional ATE switching system to be housed in a single 3U PXI chassis and allow the use of much lower cost 8 or 14-slot PXI chassis. The model 40-559 matrices are designed with built-in, high-performance screened analogue busing to minimize the cost and complexity of cable assemblies to the device under test as well as to instrumentation. The range also includes Pickering’s Built-in Relay Self-Test (BIRST) and is also supported by their eBIRST Switching System Test Tools. These tools provide a quick and simple way of finding relays that have been damaged or reached their end of life within the modules.

Pickering Interfaces’ previous generation  PXI modules use series Pickering Electronics’ series 117 reed relays, which, when launched, were the smallest products available on the market, with a footprint measuring 6.86 x 3.81 mm (0.27 x 0.15 inches). In order to achieve the doubling in switching density required to achieve its goals for the new matrices, Pickering Interfaces approached its sister company to see if any further space savings could be achieved.

“It was definitely a case of the application leading the product development”, says Moore, “and the new 120 series product they have produced occupies the smallest board area  – a mere 3.9 x 3.9mm – while enabling the highest packing density currently available”.

The new reed relays are available in two switch types: a general-purpose sputtered ruthenium switch rated for up to 20 watts and 1 amp and a low-level sputtered ruthenium switch rated at 10 watts and 0.5 amps. The reed switches are oriented vertically within the package, significantly improving the packing density. However, the small package size cannot accommodate an internal diode: back EMF suppression diodes are included in many relay drivers, however, if they are required, depending on the drive method, diodes can be provided externally. Internal mu-metal magnetic screening is included – otherwise dense packing of the relays would not be possible due to magnetic interaction. While Pickering do not normally recommend connectors as they do compromise resistance integrity, it is understood that these are sometimes desirable to aid serviceability. The relay pins on 2mm pitch are compatible with some connectors in the market place and allow them to be stacked in either a row or in a matrix on a 4mm pitch.

A total of 528 Series 120 relays on a Pickering Interfaces ultra-high-density PXI module illustrates the packing density of these extremely small Reed Relays.

Pickering Interfaces provides a standard three-year warranty and guaranteed long-term product support on all its products. This means that the reed switches that it uses must also be of a very high quality. Pickering Electronics only makes high quality relays and does not sell parallel lower quality ‘budget’ ranges. As Keith Moore says: “the risks of using an inferior or unsuitable product for a high performance application such as automotive or semiconductor testing far over-shadow any perceived cost savings – to put it another way, product recalls and lost reputations  mean that one must consider the total cost of each component chosen very carefully indeed”.

You can view the original article here>>.

The reed relay was invented in 1936 by Bell Telephone Laboratories. Since that time, it has gradually evolved from very large, relatively crude parts to the small, ultra-reliable parts we have today. Production methods and quality systems have improved a great deal over that time, and costs have been radically reduced.

Pickering Electronics, an established reed relay manufacturer, was founded in 1968, and even then some were saying that these electromechanical devices would have a limited lifetime. Instead, the market for high-quality reed relays has increased into areas that were inconceivable in those days.

Part 1 of this two-part series answered the question, “What is a reed relay?” This article delves into the differences between reed relays and other switching technologies.

Electromechanical relays

Electromechanical relays (EMRs) are widely used in industry for switching functions and often can be the lowest cost relay solution available to users. Manufacturers have made huge investments in manufacturing technology to make the relays in high volumes.

There are some notable differences between reed relays and EMRs which users should be aware of:

• Reed relays generally exhibit much faster operation (typically between a factor of 5 and 10) than EMRs. The speed differences arise because the moving parts are simpler and lighter compared to EMRs.
• Reed relays have hermetically sealed contacts, which lead to more consistent switching characteristics at low signal levels and higher insulation values in the open condition. EMRs often are enclosed in plastic packages that give a certain amount of protection, but the contacts over time are exposed to external pollutants, emissions from the plastic body, and oxygen and sulphur ingress.
• Reed relays have longer mechanical life (under light load conditions) than EMRs, typically of the order of between a factor of 10 and 100. The difference arises because of the lack of moving parts in reed relays compared to EMRs.
• Reed relays require less power to operate the contacts than EMRs.
• EMRs are designed to have a wiping action when the contacts close, which helps to break small welds and self-clean their contacts. This does help lead to higher contact ratings but also may increase wear on the contact plating.
• EMRs can have much higher ratings than reed relays because they use larger contacts; reed relays usually are limited to carry currents of up to 2 A or 3 A. Because of their larger contacts, EMRs also often can better sustain current surges.
• EMRs typically have a lower contact resistance than reed relays because they use larger contacts and normally can use materials of a lower resistivity than the nickel iron used in a reed switch capsule.

Reed relays and EMRs both behave as excellent switches. The use of high-volume manufacturing methods often makes EMRs lower cost than reed relays, but within the achievable ratings of reed relays, the reed relay has much better performance and longer life.

Solid State Reed Relays

The term “solid-state relay” refers to a class of switches based on semiconductor devices. There is a large variety of these switches available. Some, such as PIN diodes, are designed for RF applications, but the most commonly found devices that compete with reed relays are based on FET switches. A solid-state FET switch uses two MOSFETs in series and an isolated gate driver to turn the relay on or off. There are some key differences compared to a reed relay:

• All solid-state relays have a leakage current associated with their semiconductor heritage; consequently, they do not have as high an insulation resistance. The leakage current is nonlinear. The on-resistance also can be nonlinear, varying with load current.
• There is a compromise between capacitance and path resistance. Relays with low-path resistance have a large capacitive load (sometimes measured in nanofarads for high-capacity switches), which restricts bandwidth and introduces capacitive loading. As the capacitive load is decreased, the FET size has to decrease, and the path resistance increases. The capacitance of a solid-state FET switch is considerably higher than a reed relay.
• Reed relays are naturally isolated by the coil from the signal path; solid-state relays are not, so an isolated drive has to be incorporated into the relay.
• Solid-state relays can operate faster and more frequently than reed relays.
• Solid-state relays can have much higher power ratings.
• In general, reed relays behave much more like perfect switches than solid-state relays since they use mechanical contacts.

MEMS switches

MEMS switches still are largely in the development stage for general usage as relays. MEMS switches are fabricated on silicon substrates where a three-dimensional structure is micro-machined (using semiconductor processing techniques) to create a relay switch contact. The contact then can be deflected either using a magnetic field or an electrostatic field.

Much has been written about the promise of MEMS switches, particularly for RF switching, but availability in commercially viable volumes at the time of writing is very limited. The technology challenges have resulted in a number of vendors involved in MEMS failing and either ceasing to trade or closing down their programs.

Like reed relays, MEMS can be fabricated so the switch part is hermetically sealed (either in a ceramic package or at a silicon level), which generally leads to consistent switching characteristics at low signal levels. However, MEMS switches have small contact areas and low operating forces, which frequently lead to partial weld problems and very limited hot-switch capacity.

The biggest advantage for MEMS relays—if they can be made reliable—is their low operating power and fast response. The receive/transmit switch of a mobile phone, for example, has long been a target for MEMS developers.

However, at their present stage of development, it seems unlikely they will compete in the general market with reed relays as the developers concentrate on high value niche opportunities and military applications.

The Future for Reed Relays

In more recent years, there has been a constant quest for further miniaturization. Smaller parts have required more sophisticated methods, including lasers, to create the glass-to-metal hermetic seal of the reed switch capsule. Lasers also are sometimes used to adjust the sensitivity of reed switches by slightly bending the switch blades to change the size of the contact gap. Contact plating materials and methods also have changed, particularly in the areas of cleanliness, purity of materials, and the reduction of microscopic foreign particles or organic contamination, resulting in superb low-level performance.

Reed-relay operating coils also have become smaller and more efficient thanks to advanced coil-winding techniques with controlled layering of the coil-winding wire. In the case of Pickering Electronics’ relays, the coil-winding bobbin also has been dispensed with in favor of former-less coils, which has reduced package sizes. While reed relays are a relatively mature technology, such evolution will continue in the future.

A reed relay in many ways is a near perfect switching element with a simple metallic path. A well-designed and correctly used part will give a long and reliable life. Reed relays will certainly be around for many years to come.

Original article can be found here.