Amateur Extra › E6 Circuit Components › E6B05
E6B05
What characteristic of a PIN diode makes it useful as an RF switch?
Pick an answer to check it.
Answer: D. Low junction capacitance
A PIN diode has a wide intrinsic layer, so its junction capacitance is very low when reverse biased. Low capacitance lets it block RF well when off, making it a good RF switch.
Tip: PIN switch: low capacitance when off.