US Patent 7750419 Tuneable electronic devices and electronic arrangements comprising such tuneable devices

An RF MEMS tuneable arrangement, e.g. variable capacitor, having two or more tunable devices, e.g. variable capacitances, a coupling circuit arranged to couple the tunable devices together to provide a combined output, e.g. a combined capacitance, that is variable according to a tuning signal. The coupling circuit is reconfigurable to alter a response of the arrangement to changes in the tuning signal, to enable a broader range of applications, manufacturing cost reductions and more flexibility in design. The device can have a pivoted beam (30), actuable by a control signal, the beam having electrodes (40, 60) at either side of the pivot, and corresponding fixed electrodes (50, 70) facing the electrodes on the beam to provide a two or more variable devices such as switches or variable capacitors, arranged such that a given movement of the beam causes electrode separation in the same direction for the two or more switches or capacitors.