MICROWAVE ATTENUATOR

FIELD: electronic engineering; microwave attenuators built around semiconductor devices. ^ SUBSTANCE: proposed microwave attenuator has at least one attenuator stage incorporating circuit of three resistors of which at least one resistor is connected in series and two other ones, in parallel with transmission lines at attenuator input and output, as well as three electronic switches in the form of Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors. Newly introduced in each attenuator stage are two transmission-line sections whose length equals quarter-wavelength in transmission line and whose wave impedance is higher than that of transmission line at attenuator input and output. One end of each transmission-line section is connected to one end of respective parallel-connected resistor and other end, to drain of respective Schottky-barrier field-effect transistor. Gates of three Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors are interconnected and connected to one DC control voltage supply. ^ EFFECT: simplified design, reduced size and mass due to reduced number of direct-current voltage supplies. ^ 2 cl, 3 dwg