Power Splitters & Limiters

RF power splitters and dividers are passive components that distribute an input signal equally between two or more output ports while maintaining impedance matching. They are essential in test setups where a single signal source must simultaneously drive multiple instruments or devices under test. Wilkinson power dividers and resistive power splitters are the most common types, offering flat frequency response from DC to microwave frequencies with low insertion loss and high port-to-port isolation. RF limiters complement these by protecting sensitive receiver components from high-power transients.

Together, power splitters and limiters form a core part of the passive RF infrastructure in automated test equipment, signal distribution networks, and microwave component characterization setups. Keysight's 11636 series power dividers cover frequencies up to 26.5 GHz with excellent amplitude and phase balance, making them well-suited for coherent multi-channel test systems, phased array antenna testing, and local oscillator signal distribution. They are used across telecommunications, aerospace & defense, semiconductor R&D, and electronics manufacturing.

Typical Applications

Splitting a signal source output to feed multiple instruments simultaneously during calibration
Distributing LO signals in coherent multi-channel receiver test setups
Protecting spectrum analyzer and receiver inputs from high-power RF transients
Signal combining in beamforming and phased array antenna test systems
Reference signal distribution in phase-coherent measurement systems

Popular Brands

Keysight Technologies is the primary supplier of precision RF power dividers and splitters used in professional test environments. The 11636A/B/C/D power divider series and 11667A power splitter cover a wide frequency range for laboratory and automated test applications, designed for direct compatibility with Keysight signal generators, network analyzers, and spectrum analyzers.