Patent ID: 7911270

Claim:
Broadband microwave device with switchable gain, comprising: a microwave signal input to the broadband microwave device, to accept an input signal; an input transmission line having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the microwave signal input; an output transmission line having a first end and a second end; and a distributed amplifier with a plurality of parallel amplifying cells, each amplifying cell having an amplifying cell input connected to the input transmission line, and having an amplifying cell output connected to the output transmission line, wherein the second end of the output transmission line forms a distributed amplifier output, wherein one or more of the parallel amplifying cells are settable to one of an amplifying state and a blocked state; the broadband microwave device further comprising a two-channel-to-one-channel switch, the switch comprising: a first switch input connected to the second end of the input transmission line; a second switch input connected to the second end of the output transmission line; a switch output forming an output of the broadband microwave device; and a control input to change a position of the switch between a non-amplifying position and an amplifying position, the non-amplifying position comprising the first switch input connected to the switch output, and the amplifying position comprising the second switch input connected to the switch output the broadband microwave device further comprising a control unit to supply a control signal to the control input of the switch and to supply status control signals to one or more amplifying cells.