7-Bit Digital Step Attenuator Touts High Accuracy

The TQP4M9083 7-bit digital step attenuator from TriQuint claims to deliver the low insertion loss, high speed, linearity and advanced, fine-grain resolution required by designers of base station transceivers, test equipment and other similar applications. The device provides up to 31.75 dB of attenuation in 0.25 dB steps and operates from 400 MHz to 3.5 GHz. A TTL / CMOS-compatible serial peripheral interface controller for changing attenuation states maintains high attenuation accuracy over frequency and temperature. Switching speed of the attenuator is 118 n/s, input third-order intercept (IIP3) is +55 dBm, and insertion loss is 1.5 dB at 2 GHz. The attenuator provides upgraded resolution with a 0.25 dB step size and is offered with finer step gradation in the same 24-pin, 4x4mm QFN package and pin-out as the company's previous model. The TQP4M9083 DSA meets Class 1C HBM (up to 2 kV) electrostatic discharge requirements and is in production, with samples, evaluation boards and software available.