Voltage variable attenuators offer up to 60dB attenuation

Pasternack have introduced an all new line of voltage variable attenuators offering up to 60dB of attenuation across broad frequencies from 400MHz to 18GHz. This line of voltage variable attenuators is most commonly deployed in applications such as electronic warfare, instrumentation, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radios, fibre optic and broadband telecom, microwave radio and VSAT, military radios, radar, ECM, SATCOM and sensors. In most communications systems, the RF components used may require specific power levels to run optimally. These power levels may differ from one component to the next in a system network and may require the attenuation level to be finely adjusted to account for changes in received signal levels or to optimally match the input power into a sensitive circuit. The company’s new PIN diode-based voltage variable attenuators provide accurate control and broadband flatness where the output level can be adjusted continuously by varying an analog voltage on the input control line. These VVA’s are ideally suited for use with variable gain amplifiers, power level control, feed-forward amplifiers, and automatic level control (ALC) circuits. The new portfolio of voltage variable attenuators from the company includes six models covering octave broadband frequencies from 400MHz to 18GHz while boasting low insertion loss and wide dynamic range. Moreover, these modules display excellent VSWR over all attenuation levels. CW input power is rated up to +23dBm. Each unit is designed into rugged coaxial packages to meet MIL-STD-202 environmental conditions. “A high-rel design like these VVAs normally commands long lead-times from OEMs, however, Pasternack has each model available from stock for immediate shipment,” says Tim Galla, Active RF Components product manager at Pasternack.