[time-nuts] Texscan Programmable Attenuators

[skipp isaham]

Hello Time-Nuts Group,

I received a donated Texscan Programmable Attenuator, Model PA-51 style 
this one with Female N-connectors.  It's a nice looking unit and I'm not 
able to find much in the docs department.  Even a search for Texscan 
doesn't seem to turn up much, they might be out of business these days(?).

I'm hoping someone would at least be able to give me the basic 
information of how to control the attenuation steps.

The attenuator box itself, has a pair of feed-through capacitors per 
each box marked attenuation value, one feed-through has a + the match 
has - .Logic suggests some applied potential/current to a pair of pins 
turns on or off the corresponding attenuation value.

Would someone be able to please describe the expected control values/ 
methods for this Texscan Programmable Attenutator.  Through the Group 
here or Email direct, what ever is best. Actually having an original 
data or instruction sheet would be wonderful, but I can and will try to 
work with whatever information I receive.

Used / surplus Texscan products seem to "be around", a number of 
different physical format attenuation products turn up at on line 
auction (Ebay).  In addition to the PA-51 series (aka PA-5x...), a few 
models that look like the JFW rotary equivalents are also listed at 
auction. Might Texscan be or have been a company simply putting their 
label on other mfgrs products?

If I can get my head around how to control this PA-51, I can certainly 
use it for my automated pre-amplifier evaluations. Thank you in advance 
for any replies.

Regards,

Skipp
skipp025 at yahoo.com