The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 11, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2007
George W. Waslo, Liberty Township, OH (US);
George W. Waslo, Liberty Township, OH (US);
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
An attenuator circuit () having two or more branch circuits (to) has inputs (to) for the branch circuits (to) being connected essentially in parallel arrangement to an input port () for the attenuator circuit (). Each branch circuit (to) includes one or more bipolar transistors (to) having a collector element receiving a signal from a power supply () through at least one RF positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) diode (-) that a control circuit () is controlling. At least one resistive element () couples an input () of a second () of the plurality of branch circuits (to) from the input port () to the branch circuits (to). Thus, each branch (to) of the attenuator circuit () draws current from a low voltage power supply () while still providing for sequential biasing of successive branches and linearization of overall control characteristics.