Just a couple of questions that have me really puzzled: I'd appreciate some guidance, please.
1. Many classic sources on attenuator designs involve equations that produce the required value of the discrete resistors in that attenuator, based on the required attenuation and the 'impedances' of the load and source. It's the use of that word 'impedance' that bothers me. An impedance, Z, will contain resistance and reactance. Yet the equations always give the resistor values in terms of impedances and the attenuation factor, k. That implies functional relationships of the form 'Rx = f(Za, k) = f(Ra, Xa, k)', so Xa must be zero, yes?
(Please note: here I am
not referring to the application of attenuators in transmission lines.)
2. As a follow-on to that, is it theoretically possible to design a non frequency-sensitive attenuator of known attenuation whose source and load impedances are known, say Za and Zb?
In anticipation, thank you for your thoughts.
Al.