Digging Deeper Into DSAs

June 12, 2012
Digital step attenuators (DSAs) can provide a simple means of controlling amplitude in a system. But there is much to learn about DSAs before simply specifying one and adding it to a circuit. They are characterized by a number of different performance ...

Digital step attenuators (DSAs) can provide a simple means of controlling amplitude in a system. But there is much to learn about DSAs before simply specifying one and adding it to a circuit. They are characterized by a number of different performance parameters-including insertion loss, linearity, attenuation accuracy, and switching speed-each of which can impact the overall performance of a circuit or system. A DSA with nonlinear behavior, for example, can degrade the performance of a modern communications system that uses digital modulation. One with inadequate attenuation accuracy can impose changes in amplitude that may be unexpected. To learn more about the fine details of DSAs, click here.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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