Agilent
8490G Coaxial Attenuators
Technical Overview
Key specifications
• Maximize your operating frequency range for DC to
67 GHz application
• Minimize your measurement uncertainty with low SWR
of 1.45 up to 67 GHz
• Improve your measurement confidence with excellent
attenuation accuracy
The Agilent 8490G family is a line of precision fixed coaxial
attenuators with performance specified up to 67 GHz. These
attenuators use the 1.85 mm coaxial connector, and exhibit
excellent SWR and accuracy performance from DC to 67
GHz. The 8490G family has attenuation values of 3, 6,
10, 20, 30 and 40 dB.
The Agilent 8490G family of 1.85 mm fixed coaxial connectors
are assembled and tested with the same meticulous care
as their lower frequency counterparts: the Agilent 8490D,
8491 and 8493 families. These attenuators are tested on
Agilent precision Network Analyzers to assure full
specifications over their entire frequency range.
Applications
Ruggedness, reliability and small size make these attenuators suitable for
use on bench as well as on system level. With their accuracy and low SWR,
they are ideally suited for extending the range of sensitive power meters for
high power measurements. The same characteristics lend themselves to
applications such as calibration standards and RF substitution measurements.
With their broad DC to 67 GHz frequency range and reasonable cost, general
applications such as the reduction of power level to sensitive components
and instrumentation systems are attractive and appropriate uses for these
attenuators.
Specifications
Specifications describe the instrument’s warranted performance over the
temperature range 0° C to +55° C (except where noted). Supplemental and
typical characteristics are intended to provide typical but non-warranted
performance parameters. These are denoted as “typical”, “nominal”
or “approximate”.
Frequency range
Impedance (nominal)
Connectors
Power (maximum)
DC to 67 GHz
50
Ω
1.85 mm
1 W average
Attenuation (dB) = Insertion Loss
Options
8490G 003
8490G 006
8490G 010
8490G 020
8490G 030
8490G 040
Min (GHz)
0 to 67
2.5
5.4
9.4
19.2
29.2
38.0
Max (GHz)
0 to 26.5
3.9
6.9
10.9
21.3
31.3
42.5
Max (GHz)
26.5 to 50
4.4
7.4
11.1
21.5
31.5
42.5
Max (GHz)
50 to 67
4.8
7.8
11.3
21.7
31.7
42.5
Atten. Data
Uncert. (dB)
(GHz)
0.4 to 67
±0.3
±0.3
±0.3
±0.3
±0.3
±0.6
SWR (Maximum)
Attenuation
option
8490G-003
8490G-006
8490G-010
8490G-020
8490G-030
8490G-040
(GHz)
0 to 26.5
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.15
1.10
(GHz)
26.5 to 50
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.15
(GHz)
50 to 67
1.45
1.45
1.45
1.45
1.45
1.25
(GHz)
0 to 26.5
23.1
23.1
23.1
23.1
23.1
26.4
Return Loss (dB)
(GHz)
26.5 to 50
19.1
19.1
19.1
19.1
19.1
23.1
(GHz)
50 to 67
14.7
14.7
14.7
14.7
14.7
19.1
2
Environmental
Specifications
The 8490G is designed to fully comply with Agilent Technologies’ product
operating environment specifications. The following summarizes the
environmental specifications for these products.
Temperature
Operating
Non-operating
Cycling
0° C to +55° C
–55° C to +85° C
–65° C to +120° C, 10 cycles @ 20° C per minute, 20 minutes
dwell time per MIL-STD-833F, Method 1010.8, Condition C (modified)
Humidity
Operating
50% to 95% RH @ 40° C, 24 hour cycling, 5 times.
Shock
Half-sine, smoothed
1000 G @ 0.5 ms, 3 shock pulses per orientation
18 total per MIL-STD-833F, Method 2002,4, Condition B (modified)
Vibration
Broadband random
50 to 2000 Hz, 7.0 G rms, 15 minutes, per MIL-STD-833F,
Method 2026-1 (modified)
Altitude
Operating
Storage
< 4,600 meters (15,000 feet)
< 15,300 meters (50,000 feet)
Mechanical Dimension
Net weight
7.2 g (0.0158 lb) 3, 6, 10, 20 dB
7.5 g (0.0165 lb) 30, 40 dB
2 flats 180° apart
7 (0.275) across
8
(0.312)
Ø 7.6
(0.30)
A
Dimension A
3, 6, 10, 20 dB: 27 (1.06)
30, 40 db: 28 (1.10)
All dimensions are in millimeters (inches)
Figure 1. 8490G product outline
3
Supplement
Characteristics (typical)
Insertion loss (dB)
8490G-003 Insertion Loss vs. Frequency (typical)
–2.0
–2.5
–3.0
–3.5
–4.0
–4.5
–5.0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Frequency (GHz)
45
50
55
60
65
Insertion loss
Specification
Figure 2. 8490G-003 typical insertion loss versus frequency
8490G-003 Return Loss vs. Frequency (typical)
0
–10
Return loss (dB)
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Frequency (GHz)
45
50
55
60
65
Return loss
Specification
Figure 3. 8490G-003 typical return loss versus frequency
8490G-006 Insertion Loss vs. Frequency (typical)
–5.0
–5.5
Insertion loss (dB)
–6.0
–6.5
–7.0
–7.5
–8.0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Frequency (GHz)
45
50
55
60
65
Insertion loss
Specification
Figure 4. 8490G-006 typical insertion loss versus frequency
4
Supplement
Characteristics (typical)
–continued
Return loss (dB)
8490G-006 Return Loss vs. Frequency (typical)
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Frequency (GHz)
45
50
55
60
65
Return loss
Specification
Figure 5. 8490G-006 typical return loss versus frequency
8490G-010 Insertion Loss vs. Frequency (typical)
–9.0
–9.5
Insertion loss (dB)
–10.0
–10.5
–11.0
–11.5
–12.0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Frequency (GHz)
45
50
55
60
65
Insertion loss
Specification
Figure 6. 8490G-010 typical insertion loss versus frequency
8490G-010 Return Loss vs. Frequency (typical)
0
–10
Return loss (dB)
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Frequency (GHz)
45
50
55
60
65
Return loss
Specification
Figure 7. 8490G-010 typical return loss versus frequency
5