Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

NAME: Krittika Roy SAP: 60002190056

E21

Experiment No:03 Date: 28th September

ATTENUATION MEASUREMENT

Aim: Measurement of Attenuation.

Equipments Required: Microwave source, Frequency Meter, Variable Attenuator, Slotted line,
Tunable probe, Detector mount, Matched termination, VSWR Meter, Test fixed and variable
attenuator and accessories.

Learning Objective: To study waveguide based attenuator and its types.

Theory: The attenuators are two port bidirectional devices which attenuate power when inserted
into the transmission line.

Attenuation A (dB) = 10 log10[P1/P2]

Where P1-Power absorbed or detected by the load without the attenuator in the line.

P2-Power absorbed or detected by the load with the attenuator in the line.

The attenuators consist of a rectangular wave guide with a resistive vane inside it to absorb
microwave power according to their position with respect to side wall of the wave guide. As
electric field is maximum at center in TE10 mode, the attention will be maximum if the vane is
placed at center of the wave-guide. Moving from center toward the side wall, attenuation
decreases in the fixed attenuator, the vane position is fixed where as in a variable attenuator, its
position can be changed by help of micrometer or by other methods. Following characteristics of
attenuators can be studied.

• Input VSWR.

• Insertion loss (in case of variable attenuator).

• Amount of attenuation offered into the lines.

• Frequency sensitivity i.e. variation of attenuation at any fixed position of vane and
frequency is changed.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

NAME: Krittika Roy SAP: 60002190056

E21

Procedure

1. Remove the tunable probe, attenuator and matched termination from he slotted section in
the above set up.

2. Connect the detector mount to the slotted line, and tune the detector mount also for
maximum deflection on VSWR meter (Detector mount’s output should be connected to
VSWR meter).

3. Set any reference level on the VSWR meter with the help of variable attenuator (not test
attenuator) and gain control knob of VSWR meter. Let it be P1.

4. Carefully disconnect the detector mount from the slotted line, without disturbing any
position on the setup. Place the test variable attenuator to the slotted line and the detector
mount to other port of test variable attenuator. Keep the micrometer reading of test
variable to zero and record the reading of VSWR meter. Let it be P2.Then the insertion
loss or test attenuator will be P1-P2 dB.

5. For measurement of attention of fixed and variable attenuator, after step 4 of above
measurement, carefully disconnect the detector mount from the slotted line without
disturbing any position obtained up to step 3. Place the test attenuator to the slotted line
and detector mount to the other port of test attenuator. Record the reading of VSWR
meter. Let it be P3. Then the attenuation value of the fixed attenuator or attenuation value
of the variable attenuator for particular position of micrometer reading will be P1-P3 dB.

6. In case of variable attenuator, change the micrometer reading and record the VSWR
meter reading. Find out Attenuation value for different position of micrometer reading
and plot a graph.

7. Now change the operating frequency and whole step should be repeated for finding
frequency sensitivity of fixed and variable attenuator.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

NAME: Krittika Roy SAP: 60002190056

E21

Figure. Setup for Insertion Loss & Attenuation measurement of Attenuator.

Calculations:

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

NAME: Krittika Roy SAP: 60002190056

E21

Conclusion:

In this experiment we learnt how the attenuation occurs due to distortion using Microwave
source, Frequency Meter, Variable Attenuator, Slotted line, Tunable probe, Detector mount,
Matched termination, VSWR Meter. We made the table for input,output voltages and calculated
alpha as mentioned in the table above.

Assignment:

1) Describe types of attenuator used at Microwave Frequency

Ans: There are two types of attenuators:

1. Variable attenuator: A variable attenuator can be defined as a circuit that reduces

input signal strength or intensity. The circuit can either do this continuously or by

using a step-by-step process all while ensuring the signal is free from any distortion. 2.

Fixed attenuator: A fixed attenuator is a passive device comprised of resistors

designed to create a voltage divider to reduce the signal without severely degrading

the waveform. An attenuator is essentially the opposite of an amplifier; where an

amplifier is used to boost or amplify the signal, an attenuator is used to reduce the

signal by resistive losses.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory

 Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

NAME: Krittika Roy SAP: 60002190056

E21

2) List the various materials which can be used as attenuator at Microwave Frequency.

Ans: Carbon is the most commonly used attenuator material for microwave applications and is

usually deposited by pyrolytic or sputtering methods. However, other materials like iron and

nickel are also used sometimes for attenuation applications. An attenuator is effectively the

opposite of an amplifier, though the two work by different methods. Attenuators are usually

made up of simple voltage divider networks and they are used in circuits to lower the voltage

so that they do not damage the electrical device and also to improve impedance matching.

3) Explain how discontinuity created in path of propagation can create attenuation.

Ans: The waveguide where the dimensions of the waveguides are a and b where the dimension of

length b in the y axis 20 mm this waveguides input is connected to the oscillator and the output

side is connected to the frequency measurement apparatus. The waveguide has a small slit in

between from where the materials like eg: carbon is placed in between the direction of wave

propagation. This creates a discontinuity in the path of the waveguide and the power of the wave

gets attenuated.

Semester: VII/ EXTC DJ19ECL702 Microwave Engineering Laboratory