Medium Power Coaxial Attenuators
Spectrum Control’s ultra-low VSWR (1.1:1) coaxial attenuators deliver industry-leading performance with flatness of ±0.5 dB across the band. These ultra-low VSWR, ultra-flat attenuators achieve VSWR as low as 1.1:1 and support medium power levels from 5 to 50 watts, with operational frequencies up to 40 GHz to meet a wide range of attenuation and power requirements. Operating across MIL and defense temperature ranges of –65°C to +125°C, these rugged, high-performance attenuators surpass many competing designs in reflection performance, flatness, and thermal stability, with hundreds of models available.
To perform effectively in an RF chain, an attenuator must provide repeatable signal reduction while remaining nearly invisible to the RF signal passing through the circuit. VSWR performance is critical to maintaining a reflection-free path. Reflections can distort waveform amplitude and introduce unintended effects such as phase distortion or phase shift, often resulting from poor attenuator VSWR performance. Lower-cost, poorly designed attenuators can create standing waves or attenuation ripple, leading RF designers to troubleshoot non-existent system issues when the true cause is inadequate attenuator performance.
Reflected power is not simply absorbed within the RF chain; it can travel backward and generate additional reflections that push active devices, such as amplifiers, beyond their intended maximum operating conditions.
Spectrum Control’s superior VSWR attenuators help maintain phase linearity and spectral purity, with performance extending up to 40 GHz for demanding high-frequency applications.
Ultra-flat attenuation is another critical performance parameter. Maintaining precise, consistent attenuation versus frequency is essential for distortion-free signal propagation. Unexpected attenuation variations can reshape a signal, causing over- or under-modulation, while amplitude ripple combined with group delay variations from poor VSWR can negatively impact radar, communications, and RF modulation systems.
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