This section provides an overview for variable attenuators as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 20 variable attenuator manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
A variable attenuator is an electronic device designed to adjust the amplitude of a signal without significantly distorting its waveform. This adjustability allows for precise control over the signal's power level, essential in various communication systems.
The core feature of a variable attenuator is its ability to change the attenuation level dynamically. Users can manually adjust the attenuation via knobs or electronically through control signals, allowing for real-time adaptation to signal conditions.
These devices are crucial in telecommunications, radio frequency (RF) transmission systems, and testing environments. They help optimize signal levels for efficient transmission, preventing signal overload in sensitive equipment, and ensuring the fidelity of communication channels. In research and development labs, variable attenuators play a key role in simulating various signal conditions to test device performance under different scenarios.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Incorporated in 1965, Analog Devices, Inc. designs, manufactures, tests, and markets integrated circuits (ICs), software, and subsystems that leverage analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing technologies. The company provides data converter products, power management and reference products for power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing, and energy management applications in the automotive, communications, industrial, and high-end consumer markets. In addition, the company provides digital signal processing and system products for high-speed numeric calculations. It serves clients in the industrial, automotive, consumer, instrumentation, aerospace, and communications markets.
Fairview Microwave was established in 1992 in Lewisville, TX, and is a manufacturer of RF and microwave components for industrial automation, military defense, telecom-broadband, commercial electronics, and building automation industries. Its RF product catalog includes RF noise source generators, RF power dividers and tappers, RF coaxial surge protector lightning, RF connector dust caps, and RF power combiners. The company also designs bias tees, calibration kits, frequency synthesizers, impedance matching pads, and hybrid couplers. It provides cable phase matching, 3D CAD drawings, and RF cable design services.
Qorvo, established in 2015, is a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, that specializes in providing RF (Radio Frequency) solutions. Their range of product offerings includes RF chips, modules, amplifiers, discrete transistors, and integrated circuits, designed to enable wireless communication, enhance defense systems, support automotive applications, facilitate aerospace operations, and enable connectivity in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. Qorvo is certified with ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 14001 for environmental management.
Narda-MITEQ, established in 1973 and based in Hauppauge, New York, United States, is a manufacturer of RF/microwave components, subsystems, and spaceborne and SATCOM products. The company produces active and passive components, Satcom products, spaceborne products, and integrated microwave assemblies and supplies to military or commercial industries. The passive components made by the company are mixers, amplifiers, oscillators, fiber optics, and RF safety monitoring equipment, and all these are manufactured by abiding by the ISO 9001 certification and supplied to aviation, space, and defense industries.
Newport is a division of MKS Instruments, Inc. that was incorporated in 1961 and headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts. The company is a manufacturing company that serves the specialty industrial, advanced electronics, and semiconductor industries. The company markets its products through Spectra-Physics, MKS Instruments, Richardson Grating, and other brands. Their product categories include motion, optomechanics, optics, and vacuum instruments. Product categories include lasers, MKS vacuum & gas solutions, laser diode controls, and tables & isolation systems.
Guangzhou Ruid Ele-tech CO., LTD was established in 1995 and is based in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, and is a manufacturer of optic fiber products for various industrial applications. The company has ISO9001certifications & CE, RoHS, and SGS accreditations and offers passive components, optical transceivers, optical amplifiers, fiber optical switches, and, network switches as well as network optical taps, optical cables, video transmission systems, and, optical accessories for datacom, electronics, networking, Metro, and the Internet communication sectors. The company also provides customized design, installation, training, lifetime maintenance service, and technical support for customers.
Advanced Fiber Resources (AFR), established in 2000 with headquarters in China, is a manufacturer of passive optical components. The company's product line includes optical isolators, optical combiners, power laser cables, optical delay lines, faraday mirrors, and tunable chirped FBG for ultrafast lasers. Its components are found in a wide range of markets, including telecommunications, fiber lasers, autonomous vehicles, scientific research equipment, and biomedical equipment. The company holds over 150 patents and has over 600 clients worldwide.
EXFO is a Quebec, Canada-based developer and manufacturer of analytics solutions for network equipment manufacturers, communications service providers, and data centers. Originally founded in 1985, the company provides solutions for clients to more easily transition to 5G, fiber optic, and cloud-native networking. The company's specialized product lineup includes lab and manufacturing testing equipment such as bit error rate testers (BERTs), waveform generators, and optical modulation analyzers, as well as field network testing tools like fiber inspection probes and optical power meters (OPMs). These supply clients like Nokia, Facebook, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Smiths Interconnect Canada Inc., headquartered in London, England, is a manufacturer of connectivity solutions. The company provides technically differentiated electronic components, subsystems, optical and radio frequency products that connect, protect and control critical applications in mainly energy, defence, aerospace and industrial market segments. Its product portfolio includes connectors, board test fixture probes and defence antenna systems. It has 21 sales, R&D and manufacturing locations in 12 countries, including Canada, US and UK. The company complies with multiple quality, safety and environmental standards including ISO, RoHS and REACH.
Spring Optical Communication, founded in China in 2006, is a manufacturer and supplier of fiber optic termination boxes, PLC splitters, fused fiber couplers, and fiber optic connectors. Its main products include a wide range of fiber optic vertical joint splice closures, fiber optic PTO boxes, and fiber optic terminal boxes. The company provides affordable eyeglasses, vision screening, and training for non-profits, social entrepreneurs, government agencies, and corporate clients through its VisionSpring program.
Rhopoint Components Limited, founded in 1975 and located in Sussex County in southeast England, is a distributor of precision electronic components, including sensors and connectors. The company is an authorized partner of 28 manufacturers with headquarters in the UK, with several Divisions, including Rhopoint Nordic ApS and Rhopoint Energy. The company offers a wide range of electric components, including resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, and connectors, catering to the specific needs of diverse industries, including renewable energy, subsea, oil, and gas. It has cyber essentials certification along with BS EN ISO 9001 certification.
OF-LINK, founded in China in 2007, is a supplier of polarization-maintaining fiber components. Its offer includes polarization beam splitter combiners, variable optical attenuators, fixed in-line optical attenuators, fiber optic in-line polarizers, pump laser diode protectors, and more. The company provides fiber optic components for various applications, including telecommunications, data centers, and research and development. Its manufacturing facilities have been ISO 9001:2008 certified, supplying products compliant with ROHS, IEC, and Telcordia requirements.
Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 6 | 46.2% |
China | 5 | 38.5% |
Canada | 1 | 7.7% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 7.7% |