attenuator
Noun
Meaning
an electrical device for attenuating the strength of an electrical signal
Source: WordNetSynonyms
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Phrases with the word
Examples
Another type of attenuator utilizes a length of high-loss optical fiber, that operates upon its input optical signal power level in such a way that its output signal power level is less than the input level.
A manual device is useful for one-time set up of a system, and is a near-equivalent to a fixed attenuator, and may be referred to as an "adjustable attenuator".
Consequently, PIN diode can be used in some variable attenuator designs as amplitude modulators or output leveling circuits.
Effectively the noise temperature of the amplifier has been quadrupled, in addition to the (smaller) contribution due to the attenuator itself (usually room temperature if the attenuator is composed of resistors ).
The alternative build out style attenuator is a small male-female adapter that can be added onto other cables.
One corollary of the Friis equation is that an attenuator prior to the first amplifier will degrade the noise figure due to the amplifier.