Patent ID: 7463865

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: a transceiver (T/R) adapted to be coupled to an antenna for receiving and demodulating first signals received from the antenna and generating second signals for transmission back to the antenna; an amplifier coupled to receive the second signals from the T/R over an RF link, and configured, in response thereto, to amplify the second signals and supply amplified second signals to the antenna for emission therefrom; a test signal source coupled to receive a link compensation initiate signal and configured, in response thereto, to generate an RF test signal of known signal strength and cause the RF test signal to be sent over the RF link; a detector coupled to receive the RF test signal over the RF link and measure a received signal strength of the RF test signal at the detector; an electronically variable attenuator disposed between the T/R and the amplifier and adapted to modify signal attenuation from the T/R to the amplifier; and one or more processors for comparing the known signal strength and the received signal strength and setting the variable attenuator so that the signal attenuation from the T/R to the amplifier, including signal attenuation in the RF link and signal attenuation in the variable attenuator, has a predetermined value.