Why do 0 dB attenuators exist?

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I am reading this paper and found that for thermalization, they use 0 dB attenuators.



I understand attenuators reduce signal intensity (power), but what does it mean to have a 0 dB attenuator?



What is the general purpose of 0 dB attenuators and in the paper is it just being used for thermal coupling?










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  • @KingDuken My apologies, but arxiv.org is open to anyone with internet access.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • @KingDuken Also, I guess I was just asking if a 0dB attenuator is effectively just a piece of metal.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • Oh. I didn't see the "read PDF" on the right side. My apologies :)
    – KingDuken
    1 hour ago










  • Have a look here. This should give you a good idea of what was going on, and why. The 0 dB connector (which isn't exactly 0, but might be as much as half a dB) is a vital part between their semi-rigid coax segments between systems of different temps. In reading, they really had a hard time setting things up and maintaining them, too. They were working hard. A datasheet for one of their connectors is XMA Corp. 2782.
    – jonk
    1 hour ago











  • @DwayneReid Thanks for your comment, I removed my answer and will check in it (and read the other answers/comments).
    – Michel Keijzers
    1 hour ago














up vote
5
down vote

favorite












I am reading this paper and found that for thermalization, they use 0 dB attenuators.



I understand attenuators reduce signal intensity (power), but what does it mean to have a 0 dB attenuator?



What is the general purpose of 0 dB attenuators and in the paper is it just being used for thermal coupling?










share|improve this question























  • @KingDuken My apologies, but arxiv.org is open to anyone with internet access.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • @KingDuken Also, I guess I was just asking if a 0dB attenuator is effectively just a piece of metal.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • Oh. I didn't see the "read PDF" on the right side. My apologies :)
    – KingDuken
    1 hour ago










  • Have a look here. This should give you a good idea of what was going on, and why. The 0 dB connector (which isn't exactly 0, but might be as much as half a dB) is a vital part between their semi-rigid coax segments between systems of different temps. In reading, they really had a hard time setting things up and maintaining them, too. They were working hard. A datasheet for one of their connectors is XMA Corp. 2782.
    – jonk
    1 hour ago











  • @DwayneReid Thanks for your comment, I removed my answer and will check in it (and read the other answers/comments).
    – Michel Keijzers
    1 hour ago












up vote
5
down vote

favorite









up vote
5
down vote

favorite











I am reading this paper and found that for thermalization, they use 0 dB attenuators.



I understand attenuators reduce signal intensity (power), but what does it mean to have a 0 dB attenuator?



What is the general purpose of 0 dB attenuators and in the paper is it just being used for thermal coupling?










share|improve this question















I am reading this paper and found that for thermalization, they use 0 dB attenuators.



I understand attenuators reduce signal intensity (power), but what does it mean to have a 0 dB attenuator?



What is the general purpose of 0 dB attenuators and in the paper is it just being used for thermal coupling?







thermal attenuator






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 1 hour ago









Michel Keijzers

5,42562358




5,42562358










asked 1 hour ago









Blackwidow

848




848











  • @KingDuken My apologies, but arxiv.org is open to anyone with internet access.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • @KingDuken Also, I guess I was just asking if a 0dB attenuator is effectively just a piece of metal.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • Oh. I didn't see the "read PDF" on the right side. My apologies :)
    – KingDuken
    1 hour ago










  • Have a look here. This should give you a good idea of what was going on, and why. The 0 dB connector (which isn't exactly 0, but might be as much as half a dB) is a vital part between their semi-rigid coax segments between systems of different temps. In reading, they really had a hard time setting things up and maintaining them, too. They were working hard. A datasheet for one of their connectors is XMA Corp. 2782.
    – jonk
    1 hour ago











  • @DwayneReid Thanks for your comment, I removed my answer and will check in it (and read the other answers/comments).
    – Michel Keijzers
    1 hour ago
















  • @KingDuken My apologies, but arxiv.org is open to anyone with internet access.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • @KingDuken Also, I guess I was just asking if a 0dB attenuator is effectively just a piece of metal.
    – Blackwidow
    1 hour ago










  • Oh. I didn't see the "read PDF" on the right side. My apologies :)
    – KingDuken
    1 hour ago










  • Have a look here. This should give you a good idea of what was going on, and why. The 0 dB connector (which isn't exactly 0, but might be as much as half a dB) is a vital part between their semi-rigid coax segments between systems of different temps. In reading, they really had a hard time setting things up and maintaining them, too. They were working hard. A datasheet for one of their connectors is XMA Corp. 2782.
    – jonk
    1 hour ago











  • @DwayneReid Thanks for your comment, I removed my answer and will check in it (and read the other answers/comments).
    – Michel Keijzers
    1 hour ago















@KingDuken My apologies, but arxiv.org is open to anyone with internet access.
– Blackwidow
1 hour ago




@KingDuken My apologies, but arxiv.org is open to anyone with internet access.
– Blackwidow
1 hour ago












@KingDuken Also, I guess I was just asking if a 0dB attenuator is effectively just a piece of metal.
– Blackwidow
1 hour ago




@KingDuken Also, I guess I was just asking if a 0dB attenuator is effectively just a piece of metal.
– Blackwidow
1 hour ago












Oh. I didn't see the "read PDF" on the right side. My apologies :)
– KingDuken
1 hour ago




Oh. I didn't see the "read PDF" on the right side. My apologies :)
– KingDuken
1 hour ago












Have a look here. This should give you a good idea of what was going on, and why. The 0 dB connector (which isn't exactly 0, but might be as much as half a dB) is a vital part between their semi-rigid coax segments between systems of different temps. In reading, they really had a hard time setting things up and maintaining them, too. They were working hard. A datasheet for one of their connectors is XMA Corp. 2782.
– jonk
1 hour ago





Have a look here. This should give you a good idea of what was going on, and why. The 0 dB connector (which isn't exactly 0, but might be as much as half a dB) is a vital part between their semi-rigid coax segments between systems of different temps. In reading, they really had a hard time setting things up and maintaining them, too. They were working hard. A datasheet for one of their connectors is XMA Corp. 2782.
– jonk
1 hour ago













@DwayneReid Thanks for your comment, I removed my answer and will check in it (and read the other answers/comments).
– Michel Keijzers
1 hour ago




@DwayneReid Thanks for your comment, I removed my answer and will check in it (and read the other answers/comments).
– Michel Keijzers
1 hour ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
7
down vote













A 0dB attenuator is an attenuator that is electrically and mechanically just like other attenuators in that product line.



You can use them in place of another attenuator when doing tests. It acts just like the other attenuators (in terms of insertion loss and frequency range) and fits in exactly the same space mechanically.



A 0dB attenuator meets all the specifications of the others in the same product line, so swapping it in keeps all other performance characteristics of your setup the same.



Might not matter if you are tuning a CB radio, might be critical in high performance, cutting edge stuff.



The point of using one in the referred paper seems to be to reduce the amount of heat seeping into a very sensitive piece of equipment. Heat causes noise in the extremely low temperature circuits the paper describes.



The 0dB attenuator seems to be used because it passes the RF signal (almost) as well as the cable, but doesn't pass heat as easily as the cable would.






share|improve this answer




















  • thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
    – Blackwidow
    49 mins ago










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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes








up vote
7
down vote













A 0dB attenuator is an attenuator that is electrically and mechanically just like other attenuators in that product line.



You can use them in place of another attenuator when doing tests. It acts just like the other attenuators (in terms of insertion loss and frequency range) and fits in exactly the same space mechanically.



A 0dB attenuator meets all the specifications of the others in the same product line, so swapping it in keeps all other performance characteristics of your setup the same.



Might not matter if you are tuning a CB radio, might be critical in high performance, cutting edge stuff.



The point of using one in the referred paper seems to be to reduce the amount of heat seeping into a very sensitive piece of equipment. Heat causes noise in the extremely low temperature circuits the paper describes.



The 0dB attenuator seems to be used because it passes the RF signal (almost) as well as the cable, but doesn't pass heat as easily as the cable would.






share|improve this answer




















  • thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
    – Blackwidow
    49 mins ago














up vote
7
down vote













A 0dB attenuator is an attenuator that is electrically and mechanically just like other attenuators in that product line.



You can use them in place of another attenuator when doing tests. It acts just like the other attenuators (in terms of insertion loss and frequency range) and fits in exactly the same space mechanically.



A 0dB attenuator meets all the specifications of the others in the same product line, so swapping it in keeps all other performance characteristics of your setup the same.



Might not matter if you are tuning a CB radio, might be critical in high performance, cutting edge stuff.



The point of using one in the referred paper seems to be to reduce the amount of heat seeping into a very sensitive piece of equipment. Heat causes noise in the extremely low temperature circuits the paper describes.



The 0dB attenuator seems to be used because it passes the RF signal (almost) as well as the cable, but doesn't pass heat as easily as the cable would.






share|improve this answer




















  • thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
    – Blackwidow
    49 mins ago












up vote
7
down vote










up vote
7
down vote









A 0dB attenuator is an attenuator that is electrically and mechanically just like other attenuators in that product line.



You can use them in place of another attenuator when doing tests. It acts just like the other attenuators (in terms of insertion loss and frequency range) and fits in exactly the same space mechanically.



A 0dB attenuator meets all the specifications of the others in the same product line, so swapping it in keeps all other performance characteristics of your setup the same.



Might not matter if you are tuning a CB radio, might be critical in high performance, cutting edge stuff.



The point of using one in the referred paper seems to be to reduce the amount of heat seeping into a very sensitive piece of equipment. Heat causes noise in the extremely low temperature circuits the paper describes.



The 0dB attenuator seems to be used because it passes the RF signal (almost) as well as the cable, but doesn't pass heat as easily as the cable would.






share|improve this answer












A 0dB attenuator is an attenuator that is electrically and mechanically just like other attenuators in that product line.



You can use them in place of another attenuator when doing tests. It acts just like the other attenuators (in terms of insertion loss and frequency range) and fits in exactly the same space mechanically.



A 0dB attenuator meets all the specifications of the others in the same product line, so swapping it in keeps all other performance characteristics of your setup the same.



Might not matter if you are tuning a CB radio, might be critical in high performance, cutting edge stuff.



The point of using one in the referred paper seems to be to reduce the amount of heat seeping into a very sensitive piece of equipment. Heat causes noise in the extremely low temperature circuits the paper describes.



The 0dB attenuator seems to be used because it passes the RF signal (almost) as well as the cable, but doesn't pass heat as easily as the cable would.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 1 hour ago









JRE

19.7k43665




19.7k43665











  • thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
    – Blackwidow
    49 mins ago
















  • thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
    – Blackwidow
    49 mins ago















thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
– Blackwidow
49 mins ago




thank you for the answer. Your answer sounds right and given the fact that they point out their 'finite cooling budget,' your view makes sense. I was just confused about the sentence: "We thermalized all SR cables using 0dB attenuators." To thermalize all cables means to make them have thermal equilibrium....
– Blackwidow
49 mins ago

















 

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