Product SelectorRenesas offers a wide range of monolithic silicon RF Attenuators that utilize either digital or analog control. All of the Renesas RF attenuators offer broad bandwidth, low insertion loss, high linearity with high attenuation accuracy, and low error. Applications supported by these RF attenuators include wireless infrastructure (base stations, broadband infrastructure (CATV), microwave radios, satellite and data terminals, general-purpose communication equipment, and test and measurement equipment.
Renesas pioneered “Glitch-Free™” technology Digital Step Attenuators (DSAs), which enable customers to simplify their software interface, improve reliability, prevent damage to expensive sub-assemblies such as power amplifiers, and limit the over-ranging of data converter inputs. Our innovative Glitch-Free™ technology eliminates attenuation setting overshoot (glitches) from the transmit and or receive paths by reducing transient “glitches” during most significant bit (MSB) transitions by up to 95%.
Alternatively, the Renesas Voltage Variable Attenuators (VVA) offer customers analog control for applications that require more precise attenuation. These VVAs have nearly half the insertion loss of competitive solutions, high IP3 performance, and are linear in dB attenuation across the voltage control range. By using silicon-based RF semiconductor technology, the Renesas attenuators offer a robust alternative to older GaAs-based semiconductor technology. Silicon technology offers the advantages of more robust electrostatic discharge (ESD) protections, better moisture sensitivity levels (MSL), improved thermal performance, lower current consumption, and proven reliability of silicon technology.
About RF Attenuators and Digital Attenuators
The purpose of an RF attenuator in a radio transmitter or receiver signal chain is to allow adjustment of signal amplitude based on the needs of the system. The attenuation value is typically adjusted using either a digital attenuator (DSA) or by analog attenuator (VVA). There are trade-offs for selecting an analog or digital attenuator based on the application requirements. Renesas' expert engineers are available to assist customers in selecting the most appropriate devices.
