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US 4,359,699 AGranted
PIN Diode attenuator exhibiting reduced phase shift and capable of fast switching times
AssigneeMartin Marietta Corporation
InventorPhilip R. Horkin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable attenuator is formed by a section of lossy transmission line having a plurality of PIN diodes in parallel with discrete sections of the line. A D.C. current flowing through the transmission line controls the effective resistances of the diodes and thereby varies the per unit length resistance of the line.
Claims11
A microwave signal attenuator for variably attenuating an rf signal, said attenuator comprising:
- an attenuating conductor of resistive material, said attenuating conductor having input and output ends and extending in a conducting direction from said input end to said output end;
- means for coupling an rf signal to said input end for propagation along said conductor in said conducting direction from said input end to said output end, and means for coupling an attenuated rf signal from said output end;
- diode means having an anode and a cathode, the anode and cathode of said PIN diode means being coupled to said resistive material at first and second points which are offset from one another along said conducting direction, whereby said diode means is connected in parallel with a first segment of said attenuating conductor between said first and second points;
- and
- biasing means for variably biasing said PIN diode means to thereby control the degree of attenuation of said microwave signal attenuator.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.