A digital step attenuator comprising: a plurality of attenuator units (240, 230, 220, 210) that have: an input and an output; an attenuation network (414, 424, 434, 444) connected between the input and the output; a first series switch (416, 426, 436, 446) connected between the attenuation network and ground, the first series switch closable to provide an attenuation state in which an input signal is attenuated between the input and the output of the attenuator unit by a unit attenuation value; and a shunt switch (412, 422, 432, 442) connected between the input and the output of the attenuator unit, the shunt switch closable to provide an insertion state in which the input signal is provided to the output of the attenuator unit without being attenuated by the unit attenuation value, wherein the plurality of attenuator units are connected so that the digital step attenuator provides a range of attenuation levels determined by the sum of the unit attenuation values of the plurality of attenuator units in the attenuation state; and the digital step attenuator further comprises a control unit configured to provide a control signal (C0, C0_i - C4, C4_i) for each of the shunt and the first series switches of the plurality of attenuator units, so as to control the state of each switch to provide a selected attenuation level of the digital step attenuator for a particular input signal, wherein, for at least some changes of the attenuation level, the control unit is configured to provide control signals to at least some of the shunt and the first series switches of the attenuator units in a predetermined timing sequence of changing the state of said switches by timing the delivery of the control signals of the at least some switches with respective delay times, so that transient glitches of the digital step attenuator are maintained within a preselected range when the attenuation level is transitioning between a first level and a second level. a plurality of attenuator units (240, 230, 220, 210) that have: an input and an output; an attenuation network (414, 424, 434, 444) connected between the input and the output; a first series switch (416, 426, 436, 446) connected between the attenuation network and ground, the first series switch closable to provide an attenuation state in which an input signal is attenuated between the input and the output of the attenuator unit by a unit attenuation value; and a shunt switch (412, 422, 432, 442) connected between the input and the output of the attenuator unit, the shunt switch closable to provide an insertion state in which the input signal is provided to the output of the attenuator unit without being attenuated by the unit attenuation value, an input and an output; an attenuation network (414, 424, 434, 444) connected between the input and the output; a first series switch (416, 426, 436, 446) connected between the attenuation network and ground, the first series switch closable to provide an attenuation state in which an input signal is attenuated between the input and the output of the attenuator unit by a unit attenuation value; and a shunt switch (412, 422, 432, 442) connected between the input and the output of the attenuator unit, the shunt switch closable to provide an insertion state in which the input signal is provided to the output of the attenuator unit without being attenuated by the unit attenuation value, wherein the plurality of attenuator units are connected so that the digital step attenuator provides a range of attenuation levels determined by the sum of the unit attenuation values of the plurality of attenuator units in the attenuation state; and the digital step attenuator further comprises a control unit configured to provide a control signal (C0, C0_i - C4, C4_i) for each of the shunt and the first series switches of the plurality of attenuator units, so as to control the state of each switch to provide a selected attenuation level of the digital step attenuator for a particular input signal, wherein, for at least some changes of the attenuation level, the control unit is configured to provide control signals to at least some of the shunt and the first series switches of the attenuator units in a predetermined timing sequence of changing the state of said switches by timing the delivery of the control signals of the at least some switches with respective delay times, so that transient glitches of the digital step attenuator are maintained within a preselected range when the attenuation level is transitioning between a first level and a second level.