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.
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.