The Keysight (formerly Agilent / HP) 8495A is a manual step attenuator designed for DC to 4 GHz coaxial applications. It offers exceptional repeatability and reliability, with attenuation selectable in 10 dB steps from 0 to 70 dB. Precision gold-plated leaf springs ensure a long operating life of over 5 million cycles per section and high repeatability.

Specifications

Physical

ParameterValue
Operating Temperature0 to +55 °C

RF Performance

ParameterValue
Frequency RangeDC to 4 GHz
Attenuation Range0 to 70 dB
Attenuation Step Size10 dB
Insertion Loss (at 0 dB)0.4 dB + 0.07 dB/GHz
Insertion Loss at 4 GHz0.68 dB
Maximum SWR1.35
Maximum RF Input Power (Average)1 W
Maximum RF Input Power (Peak)100 W (pulse width ≤ 10 µs, duty cycle ≤ 1%)
Nominal Impedance50 Ω
Attenuation Accuracy (10 dB)±0.2 dB
Attenuation Accuracy (20 dB)±0.4 dB
Attenuation Accuracy (30 dB)±0.5 dB
Attenuation Accuracy (40 dB)±0.7 dB
Attenuation Accuracy (50 dB)±0.8 dB
Attenuation Accuracy (60 dB)±1.0 dB
Attenuation Accuracy (70 dB)±1.2 dB
Maximum Peak Power Pulse Width10 µs
Maximum Peak Power Duty Cycle0.01
Number of Sections3

Mechanical & Physical

ParameterValue
RF Connector OptionsType-N female / SMA female / APC-7
Actuation TypeManual
Operating Life5 million cycles per section
Repeatability (Maximum)0.03 dB (up to 5 million cycles)
Repeatability (Typical)0.01 dB

Environmental & Reliability

ParameterValue
Non-Operating Temperature Range-40 to +75 °C

Ordering & Configuration

ParameterValue
Option 001Type-N female RF connectors
Option 002SMA female RF connectors
Option 003APC-7 RF connectors
Option 890NIST traceable SWR and attenuation calibration data
Compatible Interconnect KitsAgilent 11716A/B/C (for cascading step attenuators)

Environmental

ParameterValue
Operating Altitude4600 m
Storage Altitude15200 m
Vibration Limit0.38 mm double amplitude, 5 to 55 Hz
Shock Limit100 g, 6 ms duration
Humidity Limit95% RH @ 40 °C

General

ParameterValue
Control TypeManual rotary knob

RF Connectors

ParameterValue
Connector GenderFemale (Type-N, SMA options) or Sexless (APC-7 option)

Options

ParameterValue
Option UK6Commercial calibration certificate with test data

Performance

ParameterValue
Attenuation Temperature Coefficient< 0.0001 dB/dB/°C

Technology

Coaxial Step Attenuator

Applications

RF and microwave signal attenuation