Design of a 1.9 GHz PCS band balanced attenuator

An RF attenuator, although functionally simple, serves as an important block in the transmitter chain, where signal levels needs to be dynamically controlled. An attenuator employing a balanced structure is well suited in these applications as it provides high dynamic range, excellent attenuation range and low VSWR across a wide frequency range. This paper discusses the design, simulation and measured performance of such an attenuator, targeted for PCS band application at 1.9 GHz.