Pickering to launch miniature two pole reed relay at electronica 2024

The new Series 125 2 Form A reed relays stack on a compact 5mm x 5mm pitch, achieving the highest packing density for a two-pole relay. The relays support up to 1 Amp and 20 Watts switching power and are available with 3V, 5V, or 12V coil options, including an optional diode. They also include full mu-metal magnetic screening, significantly reducing magnetic interaction between relays from 40% to just 1%.

Held biennially in Munich, electronica is the world’s leading trade fair for the electronics industry, showcasing advancements in semiconductors, components, assemblies, and systems. This year, over 70,000 visitors from 100+ countries will explore 18 halls with 3,000 exhibitors. Conferences and forums highlight the latest research and trends in areas like automation, electromobility, and smart energy. The 2024 theme, "All Electric Society," focuses on how electronics—from AI and green tech to smart cities and wireless solutions—contributes to a sustainable and liveable future.

Pickering enables customers to fit up to 80% more relays onto their PCB (printed circuit board). These high-density reed relay ranges can switch up to 1 Amp at 20 Watts in single-in-line (SIL/SIP), surface mount and other popular package styles. The relays feature the highest quality instrumentation grade reed switches and mu-metal magnetic screening to minimise magnetic interaction when relays are stacked closely together.

“As Pickering continuously improves its reed relay offering for test & measurement (T&M) instrumentation and ATE (automated test equipment), we expect to see interest at electronica from diverse sectors and applications, including mixed-signal semiconductor test, high-end cable and backplane testers, signal switching in medical electronics and EV charging, solar cell monitoring, and high voltage instrumentation,” commented Rob King, Reed Relays Product Manager at Pickering Electronics.

The company’s 4mm2 reed relay range also offers up to 1 Amp switching, while stacking on a tiny 4mm x 4mm pitch, allowing the highest packing density currently available in the industry. These ultra-high-density 4mm2 reed relays are ideal for very high density applications, such as ATE switching matrices or multiplexers. “Furthermore, our new Series 125 will deliver the smallest two pole (DPST) reed relays on the market – making it ideal for engineers who need to maximise their PCB real estate,” noted King.