Circuit arrangement that includes a device to protect against electrostatic discharge

1. Circuitry for use in a mobile telephone, the circuitry comprising:

a terminal for use with a high-frequency signal;

at least two signal lines;

a switching unit for connecting the terminal to a signal line; and

a primary protection device for protecting against electrostatic discharges, the primary protection device being between the terminal and the switching unit, the primary protection device comprising a first element that diverts all voltages having a magnitude greater than 200V along a same path to a reference potential.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the first element has an insertion attenuation that is less than 0.3 dB.

3. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the first element has a capacitance that is less than 1 pF.

4. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the first element comprises a gallium arsenide double diode.

5. The circuitry claim 1 , wherein the primary protection device comprises a circuit path that connects the terminal and the switching unit; and

wherein the first element connects the circuit path to the reference potential.

6. The circuitry of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second element that is in parallel with the first element, the second element for limiting a current load of the first element.

7. The circuitry of claim 6 , further comprising:

a capacitor on a circuit path between the first element and the second element.

8. The circuitry of claim 6 , wherein the second element comprises is a discharger.

9. The circuitry of claim 6 , wherein the second element comprises a polymer suppressor.

10. The circuitry of claim 6 , wherein the second element comprises an over-voltage component having a capacitance that is less than 1 pF.

11. The circuitry of claim 6 , wherein the second element comprises an inductive element having an inductance that is greater than 18 nH.

12. The circuitry of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuit paths that provide control signals to the switching unit, each of the circuit paths comprising a secondary protection device for protecting against electrostatic discharges.

13. The circuitry of claim 1 , further comprising:

a circuit path for supplying for an operating voltage to the switching unit, the circuit path comprising a secondary protection device for protecting against electrostatic discharges.

14. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the switching unit comprises field effect transistors, a contact break distance of each of the field effect transistors connecting the terminal to a signal line; and

wherein the circuitry further comprises:

circuit paths that connect to gates of the field effect transistors, the circuit paths for providing control signals to the gates, each of the circuit paths comprising a secondary protection device for protecting against electrostatic discharges.

15. The circuitry of claim 12 , 13 or 14 , wherein the secondary protection device comprises a voltage-limiting element having a switching voltage that is less than 100 V.

16. The circuitry of claim 15 , wherein the voltage-limiting element comprises a varistor.

17. The circuitry of claim 15 , wherein the voltage-limiting element comprises a Zener diode.

18. The circuitry of claim 14 , wherein at least one secondary protection device is connected to the reference potential.

19. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the switching unit comprises PIN diodes.

20. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the switching unit comprises a gallium arsenide switch.

21. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the terminal comprises an antenna input of a mobile telephone.

22. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the signal lines comprises transmitting and receiving paths of the mobile telephone.

23. The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the switching unit and the primary protection device are integrated into a multi-layer ceramic substrate.