VVAs Actually Operate To 7 GHz
Dear Editor,
Thank you for your coverage on the new voltage-variable attenuators (VVAs) from Mini-Circuits in the July issue of Microwaves & RF. Unfortunately, on the front cover of the magazine, as well as in the title of the article and in references throughout the article, it refers to controlling amplitude at RF/microwave frequencies to 6 GHz. In fact, as listed within the table on the first page of the article (“The VVA Series Voltage Variable Attenuators At A Glance”), the model VVA-13662/3 VVA operates over a frequency range of 5500 to 7000 MHz with typical maximum attenuation of 27 dB. The VVA series attenuators actually cover a total frequency range of 10 MHz to 7 GHz with control voltages of 0 to 6 V, encompassing an even wider set of applications than implied by the coverage in the article.

The text on p. 86 of the article refers to the model VVA-13662/3 as “a true microwave unit operating from 5500 to 7000 MHz and ideal for WiMAX and other wireless applications.” It provides as much as 27 dB attenuation control with only 2.3 dB insertion loss at the maximum attenuation setting. It is unfortunate that the lines on the cover of the magazine as well as in the title of the article might have left some readers with the impression that these VVAs were only usable through 6 GHz, when in fact they offer accurate control of amplitude at frequencies through 7 GHz and beyond.
Sincerely yours,
Ilamcheran A.
Advertising Manager
Mini-Circuits
Brooklyn, NY
www.minicircuits.com

Editor’s Note:
Our apologies to Mini-Circuits and our readers for not correctly stating that the new VVA series of attenuators provides repeatable and accurate amplitude control through 7 GHz. The table printed in the article is accurate and, by the time of this printing, the online version of the article will have been updated to reflect the actual VVA performance.