US3676807A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Film attenuator with distributed capacitance high frequency compensation
Assignee: Tektronix Inc
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Filing: 1971-05-19
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Granted: 1972-07-11
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Expires: 1991-05-19
Abstract
Abstract A thick film attenuator including series and shunt resistances coated on an insulator substrate is described in which the first distributed capacitance of a lead conductor connecting a variable capacitor in parallel with the series resistance is compensated by the second distributed capacitance of a ground conductor on the opposite side of such series resistance. This prevents the attenuation ratio from changing with frequency for high frequency input signals which tends to be caused by such first distributed capacitance with high impedance attenuators due to the greater length of the series resistance. The spacing between the lead conductor and the series resistance decreases with distance along such resistor from the terminal connected to the variable capacitor, while the spacing between the ground conductor and the series resistance increases with such distance to provide the first and second distributed capacitances which change hyperbolically with such distance so that the attenuation ratio of the capacitance divider is the same as that of the resistance divider at any point along the series resistance.
Inventors
- 👤 Machiel Boer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:36
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03H; H03H7/00; H03H7/24; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
Attenuator apparatus having distributed capacitance in which the improvement comprises: a substrate member of insulating material; a series resistance region provided as a layer of resistance material on said substrate member and connected between the input and output terminals of said attenuator; a shunt resistance connected between said output terminal and a ground terminal; a pair of conductor regions provided as layers of conductor material on said substrate member along opposite sides of said series resistance region, one of said conductor regions being a lead conductor connected at one end to one of the input and output terminals of the series resistance region, and the other conductor region being a ground conductor insulated from said resistance region and connected to a ground terminal; a first capacitor connected in parallel with said series resistance between the other end of said lead conductor and the other of said input and output terminals; a second capacitor connected in parallel with said shunt resistance; said lead conductor region being spaced from said series resistance region by an amount which decreases with distance along said series resistance from said other terminal to said one terminal to provide a first distributed capacitance therebetween which increases with said distance; and said ground conductor region being spaced from said resistance region by an amount which increases with said distance to provide a second distributed capacitance therebetween which decreases with said distance.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
Attenuator apparatus having distributed capacitance in which the improvement comprises: a substrate member of insulating material; a series resistance region provided as a layer of resistance material on said substrate member and connected between the input and output terminals of said attenuator; a shunt resistance connected between said output terminal and a ground terminal; a pair of conductor regions provided as layers of conductor material on said substrate member along opposite sides of said series resistance region, one of said conductor regions being a lead conductor connected at one end to one of the input and output terminals of the series resistance region, and the other conductor region being a ground conductor insulated from said resistance region and connected to a ground terminal; a first capacitor connected in parallel with said series resistance between the other end of said lead conductor and the other of said input and output terminals; a second capacitor connected in parallel with said shunt resistance; said lead conductor region being spaced from said series resistance region by an amount which decreases with distance along said series resistance from said other terminal to said one terminal to provide a first distributed capacitance therebetween which increases with said distance; and said ground conductor region being spaced from said resistance region by an amount which increases with said distance to provide a second distributed capacitance therebetween which decreases with said distance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which the first distributed capacitance increases hyperbolically and the second distributed capacitance decreases hyperbolically while the resistance of said series resistor changes linearly with said distance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which the shunt resistance is on said substrate member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which the product of said series resistance multiplied by said first capacitor is approximately equal to the product of said shunt resistance multiplied by said second capacitor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which the second capacitor is coated on said substrate member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which said one end of said lead conductor region is connected to the output terminal and the first capacitor is connected between said other end and said input terminal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which said one end of said lead conductor region is connected to the input terminal, and the first capacitor is connected between said other end and said output terminal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which an intermediate layer of insulating material is provided on said substrate member between said series resistor region and said pair of conductor regions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
An attenuator in accordance with claim 1 in which the first capacitor is variable.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
An attenuator apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the first and second distributed capacitances have values so that at any point on the series resistance the capacitive divider formed by the first and second distributed capacitances has the same attenuation ratio as the resistance divider formed by the series and shunt resistances.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-11 | 1976-01-10 | 1976-07-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-01-10 | 1980-07-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-11 | 1984-01-10 | 1984-07-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |