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Application News - ARJ Relay for Attenuation Circuit

Attenuators are passive resistive elements that do the opposite of what an amplifier does. The first question that comes to mind is why would anyone want to do that? The answer is not a simple one and requires some understanding of RF signal characteristics. There are four main characteristics that are specified for RF components: Isolation, Insertion Loss, Impedance and V.S.W.R. (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio). These characteristics are given at a specific frequency and will change as the frequency changes. Attenuators are usually used in combination with amplifiers to achieve the correct amplification level and also adjust the V.S.W.R. to meet the application requirement. The actual design is much more complex as the attenuator circuit usually adds undesirable noise.

 

Typically, an RF attenuator is a device that goes between the antenna and the RF receiver to attenuate the signal to a level which the receiver can handle. In the last few years, we have seen unprecedented expansion in wireless communications, increasing demand for RF attenuators. The ARJ relay represents an ideal solution for switch-able high frequency attenuators. The ARJ has excellent high frequency characteristics and is available in both through-hole and surface mount packages.