Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficient transmission over a range of power levels with a diode-based T/R switched transceiver (e.g., PIN-diode switch), whereby a small amount of current flows through the switch at the lower power levels, and a large amount of current flows through the switch at the higher power levels. In a transceiver that can transmit at different power levels, a control unit sets the power amplifier to a specific gain for a specific power level. The control unit knows what power level the transceiver's power amplifier is set to. Consequently, using a controllable current source, the control unit can set the current through the switch to a suitable value that minimizes the total current consumption, including the current consumption in both the power amplifier and the switch.