TA0027

TA0027
 TA0027 RF2421: Integrated, Single-Step, 10dB Attenuator for Power Control Applications    
   
  S2 RB RF IN RA RA = RO(N+1)/(N-1) RB = RO(N2-1)/2N Where: N = VIN / VOUT RO = Impedance Wireless communication is continuing to expand into all areas of the business, government, and consumer sectors. New markets are opening around the world for products that will meet specialized requirements. To build such products, designers rely on having access to ever more sophisticated and integrated devices.  
     RF OUT RA RO S1 S1 One particular type of device that has not seen a great deal of development is the surface mount, integrated attenuator. They are useful in reducing the power level of RF signals by a specific amount. There are two general classes - step and variable. Step attenuators allow one or more discrete levels of attenuation and are set by one or more control inputs. The variable class allows a specific value of attenuation to be selected from an overall range via an analog control voltage. They are more flexible than step attenuators as they allow any amount of attenuation to be set but the cost is greater circuit complexity. In both types, when no attenuation is selected, the attenuation is just the insertion loss of the device. The simplest type, and the focus of this article, is the single-step attenuator which needs only one...