Attenuation 2

Electronic Systems (ECT216)

Week 21
Spectrum analyser
Asked you to prove for this week that Zo for a π two port
network is the same as:

Looking in Zo = Ro (being totally resistive)

Group Ro terms on left gives

The same solution as

Attenuator Design
●Usually know the value of the iterative

impedance
●Choose attenuation figure
Design
From 1st principles where Ri = iterative impedance:
Algebraic solution to this quadratic is not simple. If we
resort to substitution of values then:
Now check this value using

Asymmetric attenuators give approximately the same

results with
T attenuators
T attenuators

To calculate R2 use formula

T attenuators
T attenuators
Π attenuators
Π attenuators
Π attenuators

As
V2=V1/N

Substituting
R2=Ro(N+1)/(N-1)
Π attenuators
Π attenuators
Π attenuators
Image impedance
 L section (minimum loss pads)

Can be used to match a high impedance source to a

low impedance load
 L section (minimum loss pads)
If Z1 is the impedance
connected to one port and Z2
the impedance to the
opposite port

Reference Data for Engineers – section 35.7

Attenuation examples
●One aerial
○ Diplexer (multiple Txs)

○ Duplexer (Tx & Rx)

○ Circulator at μwave frequencies

●Dummy loads
○ Transmitters An isolator is a circulator with the third port
terminated.
○ Generators
Summary
●Balanced vs unbalanced

●Symmetrical vs asymmetrical

●Pi

●T

●L

●Bridged T