Analog IC switches, how to use?

[Hybrid fourdoor]

I've been looking at regular eletromechanical relays, and they seem to be real good, but they get to be reletively expensive once you get a couple dozen going, plus they take some time and power. Then looking though the Mouser catalog I notice all these Analog IC switches that take hardly any power and have switch times in the nanosecond times. Can these be used just like regular relays, as in feed them 5V or whatever and they switch?

These things look like the great alternative, but didn't know if there were any drawbacks. Also this would be for low voltage levels, like switching inputs on a pre-amp or something, so they don't need to be built like a tank.

Thanks,
David

[peranders]

There are a few very good analog switches out there. The drawbacks are small or few, distortion and noise. In a normal high level (0.1-1 V) application analog switches are good, today.

The cheapest I can think of is 4066 CMOS but Analog Devices (amoung others) has good types. Some types have smooth, silent and click-free switching.

[Jan Dupont]

If you want high quality analogue switches, you can use SSM2402 or SSM2404 from Analog Devices

[janneman]

Originally posted by Hybrid fourdoor
I've been looking at regular eletromechanical relays, and they seem to be real good, but they get to be reletively expensive once you get a couple dozen going, plus they take some time and power. Then looking though the Mouser catalog I notice all these Analog IC switches that take hardly any power and have switch times in the nanosecond times. Can these be used just like regular relays, as in feed them 5V or whatever and they switch?

These things look like the great alternative, but didn't know if there were any drawbacks. Also this would be for low voltage levels, like switching inputs on a pre-amp or something, so they don't need to be built like a tank.

Thanks,
David

David, it may be usefull to do a search. There was at least one thread where this was discussed, inluding comprehensive pro-cons of various types and app notes.

Jan Didden

[jackinnj]

Originally posted by peranders
There are a few very good analog switches out there. The drawbacks are small or few, distortion and noise. In a normal high level (0.1-1 V) application analog switches are good, today.

The cheapest I can think of is 4066 CMOS but Analog Devices (amoung others) has good types. Some types have smooth, silent and click-free switching.

from what I have read, the CMOS 4066 switches should really be avoided for high quality audio -- they have pretty high switching resistance and I am not quite certain that you don't get some switching artifacts and crosstalk.

one solution which is low noise, low crosstalk, low distortion are opamps with disable function. i would just point out, however, that I have found you have to assert the DISABLE to HIGH in order to enable the opamp (the manufacturer states that it can float.)

[peranders]

It depends where they are. If they are in series with let's say 10 k to an inverting amp, they will perform not bad anyway but you can hardly call them very audiophilic.

[Jan Dupont]

The CMOS 4066 are used in the old QUAD 34 and 44 preamps

[jcx]

maxim has extensive selection and literature on analog sw

max40xx types are way better than 74C/HC or 4000 series

for low distortion with sw moving with audio line level voltage i would look at +/-15 V supply parts, on resistance and parasitic C are modulated by voltage swing, both are reduced by high supply voltage

http://www.maxim-ic.com/