Absorptive phase invariant attenuator
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorJames Dervay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for an absorptive, phase invariant signal attenuator. In embodiments, PIN diodes can be coupled to a hybrid coupler. Incident power can be split by the coupler to a terminating resistor, a terminating diode, and a series diode. The terminating diode becomes increasingly well matched and absorptive over the attenuation range. The series diode becomes increasingly mismatched and reflective over the attenuation range. The terminating resistor increasingly absorbs incident power as the coupling value decreases due to increasing diode impedance over the attenuation range.
Claims19
A system for attenuating an input signal, comprising:
- an input to receive the input signal;
- a terminating impedance element;
- a terminating diode;
- a series diode;
- and
- a coupler to split the input signal among the terminating impedance element, the terminating diode, and the series diode,
- wherein the terminating diode becomes more absorptive as an amount of attenuation increases, and
- wherein the series diode more reflective as the amount of attenuation increases.
A method, comprising:
- receiving an input signal;
- employing a coupler to split the input signal among a terminating impedance element, a terminating diode, and a series diode,
- wherein the terminating diode becomes more absorptive as an amount of attenuation increases, and
- wherein the series diode more reflective as the amount of attenuation increases.
A signal attenuator, comprising:
- an input to receive an input signal;
- a means for terminating a signal;
- a terminating diode means;
- a series diode means;
- and
- a coupler means for splitting the input signal among the means for terminating a signal, the terminating diode means, and the series diode means,
- wherein the terminating diode means becomes more absorptive as an amount of attenuation increases, and
- wherein the series diode means is more reflective as the amount of attenuation increases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.