Overview

Fairchild's USB switches are ideal in any application utilizing a USB port. Functionally and electrically, our switches are ideal for USB port isolation, connector sharing and signal multiplexing. They are often used to share or route USB ports and to isolate Flash memory / uDisk removable devices. The switches are designed to be compliant with USB2.0 Full Speed (FS) and Hi-Speed (HS) with bandwidths in excess of 720MHz.

Products: USB Switches

Frequently Asked Questions

Find more answers in our Question and Answers Section

1. Why would I use a USB switch instead of a regular analog switch?
Using a USB switch gives extra confidence in the Plug N Play of USB since Fairchild Semiconductor USB switches are optimized for the USB2.0 environment. They also, naturally, are backward compatible for USB1.1.

2. Are Fairchild’s USB switches compliant with USB-IF standards?
Fairchild Semiconductor USB switches are designed to meet the USB-IF compliance specification. The USB switches are often characterized in an environment that emulates a typical product USB-IF compliance test set up.

3. If they comply with the USB standard, wouldn’t all USB switches on the market be the same?
Not necessarily. USB-IF compliance simply validates that a product has passed a recommended subset of tests. These tests give a high probability that Plug N Play functionality will exist across manufacturer’s products. Fairchild Semiconductor USB switches are ideal for USB applications since they are optimized for USB and have very high ESD immunity which is ideal for the ultra-portable Plug N Play products.

4. Can a USB switch pass an audio signal?
Yes, the USB switches will pass an audio signal. The choice of switch will depend upon your audio path characteristics for Ron and the impedance being driven.