Attenuators
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
The ADRF5474 is a 4-bit digital attenuator with 22 dB attenuation control range in 2 dB steps manufactured in a silicon process attached on a gallium arsenide (GaAs) carrier substrate. The substrate incorporates the bond pads for chip and wire assembly, and the bottom of the device is metalized and connected to ground.
These attenuator assemblies operate at 200-7125 MHz with an attenuation range of 0-95dB by 1dB steps.
Model 50BA-056-95 is a 50 Ohm benchtop attenuator assembly containing one solid-state step attenuator with a range of 0 to 95dB by 1dB steps and operates from 200 MHz to 7125 MHz.
Model 50BA-057-95 is a 50 Ohm benchtop attenuator assembly containing two solid-state step attenuators with a range of 0 to 95dB by 1dB steps and operates from 200 MHz to 7125 MHz.
The ATN10-0050CSP1 is a surface mount GaAs MMIC 10dB attenuator in a chip scale package (CSP). This attenuator is an ideal solution for attenuating a signal and can be used in a wide range of applications.
The ATN00-0040PSM is a surface mount GaAs MMIC 0dB attenuator in a DFN package. This attenuator is an ideal solution for attenuating a signal and can be used in a wide range of applications.
The 10 dB Fixed Attenuator LCAT1004-10 is rated to 2 Watts and operates from DC to 6 GHz. The versatile coaxial package uses type N male to type N female connectors and is also RoHS compliant.
Model 50HFFA-xxx-50/18 is a 50 Ohm coaxial fixed attenuator rated at 50 Watts average input power and operates DC-18 GHz.
ABOUT
Attenuators are the exact opposite of an amplifier. An attenuator is used to reduce the intensity of either electricity or sound. For example, the digital impulse that is used to drive a speaker may be stepped down to prevent the lower range speakers from failing. An equalizer in music is a form of amplifier and attenuator rolled up into one. However, it targets on particular frequency. Every instrument in a musical symphony and even the human voice occupy a certain frequency range. As an example, each note of a violin has a very specific frequency. The A string on a violin is exactly 440Hz. Using an attenuator, one can target the exact frequency of 440Hz and reduce its intensity. It can even be attenuated all the way down to zero. If this were to happen, then every time an A not of a violin was played, it would not be heard.
This sort of technology is used to clean up sounds of recordings and other sounds in a recording. It is even possible to pinpoint the frequency range of the human voice then use an attenuator to reduce it to zero. Imagine if one were to take a recording of a song and attenuate just the vocal portion, the song will now resemble a minus-one track.
Attenuators have other more sophisticated commercial uses. They can be used to reduce the electrical impulses that were amplified to travel long distances and may still carry strong energy when it arrives, so it needs to be attenuated before it is channeled for processing.