Microwave attenuators are electronic devices that reduce the power of signals without distorting their waveforms. They are the opposite of amplifiers in that they reflect and absorb energy through dissipative elements. There are fixed and variable types of attenuators. Fixed attenuators provide a set amount of power reduction and are used for impedance matching and where a fixed power level is required. Variable attenuators allow step-wise or continuous adjustment of attenuation through mechanisms like rotary wheels, flaps, or vanes made of lossy dielectric materials inserted into the signal path. Both types have characteristics like impedance, power handling, frequency response, and temperature dependence that are important to their performance.