RF/Microwaves

RF / Microwave

Custom-designed and off-the-shelf microwave components including filters, power dividers and couplers.

RF/MW Filters

Featured RF/MW Filters

Knowles RF/MW filters provide high-performance signal selection for demanding RF and microwave systems. Available as standard catalog parts or fully custom designs, they enable compact, reliable solutions for applications where predictable RF performance and SWaP‑C optimization are critical.

Key Highlights:

  • Wide operating frequency range from 300MHz to 75GHz. Supports diverse RF and microwave system requirements with coverage spanning VHF through V-Band.
  • Multiple filter topologies (bandpass, lowpass, highpass, bandstop) Enables precise signal selection and interference control tailored to specific system architectures.
  • Advanced ceramic and thin-film manufacturing. Delivers highly stable, repeatable RF performance suitable for demanding environments and long-life systems.
  • High rejection, high selectivity, and low insertion loss options. Improves system accuracy and reduces noise, supporting applications such as GPS and complex RF front-ends.
  • Available and standard catalog or fully custom designs. Allows optimization for size, weight, power, cost (SWaP-C), and performance, particularly valuable in radar, aerospace, and defense systems.

Power Dividers

Featured Power Dividers

Knowles power dividers are passive microwave components designed to split or combine RF signals with low insertion loss, high isolation, and excellent phase and amplitude balance. Available in common multi-way configurations and compact surface-mount or chip-and-wire formats, they simplify RF signal routing while preserving performance across wide bandwidths. These devices are ideal for radar, satellite communications, telecom infrastructure, and test systems.

Key Highlights:

  • Low-loss, high-permittivity dielectric materials. Maintains efficient signal splitting/combining with small size and stable RF performance over temperature.
  • Available in surface-mount (SMT) and chip-and-wire (WB) formats. Supports flexible integration into compact RF modules or hybrid microwave assemblies.
  • Thin-film precision resistors integrated into the design. Provides accurate, repeatable power division essential for maintaining amplitude and phase balance. 
  • Wide operational bandwidth, from 0.3GHz to 18GHz depending on model. Enables use across diverse RF and microwave systems requiring consistent performance across broad frequency ranges.
  • Compact, temperature-stable construction. Minimizes performance drift and supports SWaP-C (size, weight, power, cost) optimization in radar, satellite, telecom, and test equipment.

Featured Couplers

Knowles RF couplers enable precise signal sampling, splitting, and combining for monitoring and measurement within high-frequency systems. Designed for low loss and dependable isolation, they are available in compact formats that integrate easily into modern RF layouts. These couplers support accurate power measurement and signal management across applications including radar, electronic warfare, satellite communications, and test and measurement equipment.

Key Highlights:

  • High-permittivity, low-loss ceramic materials. Supports compact layouts and maintains stable coupling performance with minimal variation over temperature.
  • Low insertion loss for efficient signal sampling. Preserves signal integrity when routing or monitoring high-frequency RF paths.
  • Dependable isolation between coupled ports. Enables accurate measurement of incident and reflected power in sensitive RF subsystems. 
  • Available in compact SMT and chip-and-wire formats. Integrates easily into modern microwave assemblies and hybrid modules where space is limited.
  • Stable performance across wide frequency ranges. Ensures predictable coupling behavior in radar, EW (electronic warfare), satellite, communication, and test environments.

Gain Equalizers

Featured Gain Equalizers

Knowles gain equalizers compensate for frequency-dependent gain roll-off, helping improve overall passband flatness in RF and microwave signal chains. Built using thin-film ceramic technology, these compact components reduce the need for complex discrete equalization networks and support miniaturized module designs. They are well suited for front-end modules, amplifiers, radar systems, and satellite and telecom infrastructure.

Key Highlights:

  • Thin-film construction on high-permittivity ceramic materials. Ensure stable, repeatable microwave performance and precise control of frequency-dependent attenuation.
  • Monolithic design with integrated precision resistors. Provides a near-ideal R-C response, outperforming stacked-chip discrete equalization networks.
  • Compact, pick-and-place-ready format. Simplifies assembly and supports miniaturized RF module designs without sacrificing performance.
  • Improves passband flatness by compensating gain slope. Enhances signal chain accuracy in broadband RF and microwave systems.
  • Suitable for demanding front-end, radar, satellite, and telecom applications. Delivers stable equalization performance required in high-reliability and high-frequency signal paths.

Featured Resonators

Knowles ceramic resonators provide high-Q frequency control in compact surface-mount formats. Available in multiple configurations and dielectric options, they enable precise frequency setting and stable performance for oscillators, filters, and timing-critical RF circuits. These resonators are commonly used in wireless communications, GPS, aerospace, and high-reliability microwave systems.

Key Highlights:

  • High-Q performance across UHF, VHF, L, S, C, and microwave bands. Provides stable, low-loss frequency control essential for precision RF designs.
  • Compact coaxial and surface-mount formats. Enables dense RF layouts and size-constrained module designs without compromising performance.
  • Multiple configurations including quarter-wave and half-wave styles. Supports flexible circuit integration for frequency standards, filters, and resonant structures.
  • High-stability ceramic dielectric materials. Ensures predictable behavior over temperature and frequency, improving oscillator and filter consistency.
  • Pretuned to customer-specific frequencies with selectable tolerances. Reduces system-level tuning effort and speeds development of timing-critical RF architectures. 

High Frequency RF Crossover

Featured High Frequency RF Crossovers

Knowles' High Frequency RF Crossover allows RF signal paths to cross without the need for multilayer PCB routing, simplifying high-frequency board design. This compact surface-mount device supports broadband operation into millimeter-wave frequencies while maintaining strong isolation and return loss. It is ideal for dense RF layouts in aerospace, defense, and advanced communications systems.

Key Highlights:

  • Broad DC-40GHz operating range. Supports wideband and mmWave system requirements without redesigning board stack-ups.
  • Enables trace crossing without multilayer PCB routing. Reduces board complexity and cost by avoiding additional PCB layers previously required for RF crossover paths.
  • Patented metallized ceramic channel construction. Provides strong isolation between crossed lines while maintaining controlled RF behavior.
  • Compact surface-mount format. Integrates easily into dense RF layouts and supports modern assembly processes.
  • Stable performance with adequate return loss and isolation. Maintains predictable signal integrity in high-frequency aerospace, defense, and advanced communications modules. 

Bias Networks

Featured Bias Networks

Bias filter networks are integrated R‑C devices that suppress unwanted RF energy on DC bias and control lines. By combining multiple passive functions into a single compact structure, they reduce parts count, simplify assembly, and help ensure stable biasing of sensitive RF devices. These networks are widely used in multichip modules and high-frequency designs where clean bias lines are essential.

Key Highlights:

  • Broadband filtering from 10MHz to 40Ghz. Ensures clean bias and control lines across wide RF and microwave operating ranges. 
  • Integrated R-C structure using high-permittivity ceramics and thin-film resistors. Provides compact suppression of unwanted RF energy on DC lines.
  • Reduces passive component count. Combines multiple bias-filtering functions into one device, simplifying design and PCB layout.
  • Supports stable device biasing. Helps maintain reliable operating conditions for sensitive RF devices in high-frequency environments.
  • Adaptable to multichip modules and dense RF assemblies. Enables cleaner bias distribution in tightly integrated microwave and mmWave systems.

Single Layer Capacitors

Featured Single Layer Capacitors

Knowles single layer capacitors (SLCs) are high-frequency ceramic components designed for DC blocking, bypassing, coupling, tuning, and filtering. With broad capacitance and voltage options, tight tolerances, and compact footprints, they deliver stable performance across wide frequency and temperature ranges. SLCs are commonly used in telecom, industrial, medical, automotive, and instrumentation applications.

Key Highlights:

  • Exceptional high-frequency performance up to 100GHz. Enables reliable operation in RF, microwave and mmWave circuits where signal integrity and resonance control are critical.
  • Broad capacitance and voltage range. Supports values from sub-pF to >10,000pF with multiple voltage ratings, accommodating everything from precision tuning to robust bias and bypass functions.
  • Low loss and stable dielectric options. Class I and Class II materials provide designers flexibility to balance temperature stability, capacitance density, and RF efficiency.
  • Compact, customizable form factors. Small footprints, multiple geometries, and wire-bondable or solderable terminations support dense layouts, MMICs, and multichip modules.
  • Commercial and high-reliability solutions. Available in standard commercial grades or screened high-reliability versions for telecom, industrial, medical, automotive, aerospace, and defense applications.

Broadband Blocks

Featured Broadband Blocks

Knowles broadband blocks are surface-mount capacitors optimized for ultra‑low‑loss DC blocking across wide frequency ranges. Their resonance‑free behavior and low inductance help preserve signal integrity in broadband RF and microwave systems. Designed for easy integration and compact layouts, they are ideal for test equipment, satellite communications, fiber‑optic modules, and millimeter‑wave applications.

Key Highlights:

  • Resonance-free DC blocking across ultra-wide bandwidths. Maintains clean signal paths without parasitic resonances that can distort broadband RF and microwave performance.
  • Ultra-low insertion loss and low inductance. Minimizes signal degradation and preserves amplitude and phase integrity in wideband and high-speed designs.
  • Broad frequency coverage for RF to mmWave systems. Supports operation from low frequencies into the tens of GHz, making a single solution viable across multiple bands.
  • Compact, surface-mount form factors. Small SMT footprints enable easy integration into dense layouts, transmission-line designs, and broadband modules.
  • Proven performance in demanding applications. Ideal for test and measurement equipment, satellite and space systems, fiber-optic and photonics modules, and broadband microwave/mmWave architectures.

Educational Resources

Blogs
Catalogs
Whitepapers
Videos

Switch Filter Banks for Agile RF Receiver Design in Radar

For the third installment in our RF Components for Radar series, miniaturized switch filter banks help modern radar systems adapt to changing missions and crowded RF environments while maintaining high performance.
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View Article for Switch Filter Banks for Agile RF Receiver Design in Radar
Gain Equalizers in RF Receivers

Enhancing Radar Performance: The Role of Gain Equalizers in RF Receivers

Low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) in radio frequency (RF) receivers are designed to amplify low-amplitude signals (i.e., less than -100 dBm) from an antenna without decreasing their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
View Article for Enhancing Radar Performance: The Role of Gain Equalizers in RF Receivers
View Article for Enhancing Radar Performance: The Role of Gain Equalizers in RF Receivers

Examining the Definition of “Wideband” Through the Lens of Electronic Warfare Systems

In complex radio frequency (RF) applications, “wideband” has varying definitions depending on both the application of interest and the portion of the RF circuit you’re focused on. Wideband can be used to describe the entire spectrum shown in Figure 1 or large portions of it.
View Article for Examining the Definition of “Wideband” Through the Lens of Electronic Warfare Systems
View Article for Examining the Definition of “Wideband” Through the Lens of Electronic Warfare Systems
The Role of Filters in Expanding Bandwidth for Electronic Warfare Receivers

The Role of Filters in Expanding Bandwidth for Electronic Warfare Receivers

Electronic warfare (EW) systems are an increasingly critical component of modern warfare. They seek to control and exploit the electromagnetic spectrum to gain an advantage over adversaries while preventing them from reciprocating.
View Article for The Role of Filters in Expanding Bandwidth for Electronic Warfare Receivers
View Article for The Role of Filters in Expanding Bandwidth for Electronic Warfare Receivers
The Essential Relationship Between Two Key RF Components

The Essential Relationship Between Two Key RF Components

Capacitors and inductors are two closely related components that frequently work together in RF circuit design. While both store energy, they do so in distinct ways. Capacitors store energy in an electric field and help regulate voltage changes, whereas inductors store energy in a magnetic field and resist changes in current.
View Article for The Essential Relationship Between Two Key RF Components
View Article for The Essential Relationship Between Two Key RF Components

RF Filter Terminology and Specifications

To choose the right filter for your application, you'll need to evaluate filter type, identify the specific filter technology that best suits your application.
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View Article for RF Filter Terminology and Specifications

RF/Microwave Products Catalog

Advanced RF and microwave components engineered for demanding environments.
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View Resource for RF/Microwave Products Catalog

SLC Capacitors Catalog

A comprehensive catalog of SLCs optimized for high‑reliability RF and power designs.
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View Resource for SLC Capacitors Catalog

RF/Microwave Products for Space Applications

High‑reliability components engineered for mission‑critical space applications.
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View Resource for RF/Microwave Products for Space Applications

RF Components for Radar Systems

Review radar’s essential components and explore how RF systems work together to ensure precision and reliability.
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View Resource for RF Components for Radar Systems

Filter Basics Ebook

Detailed fundamental filter information to simplify your filtering decisions.
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View Resource for Filter Basics Ebook

Wilkinson Power Dividers and Feed Networks

Learn how Wilkinson Power Dividers work, key manufacturing and application considerations, and how performance is measured i...
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View Resource for Wilkinson Power Dividers and Feed Networks

RF Performance: Pole Count and Insertion Loss

Pole count's importance to determine selectivity of a filter to improve attenuation.
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View Resource for RF Performance: Pole Count and Insertion Loss

Why Trust the Knowles Engineering Team?

FAQ: Why should I trust the Knowles engineering team?
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View Resource for Why Trust the Knowles Engineering Team?

Why do Ceramics Differ in Color?

FAQ: Why does the Ceramic differ in color?
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View Resource for Why do Ceramics Differ in Color?

Why is Alumina Costing You?

Learn more about alumina and why is costs you in both performance and price.
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View Resource for Why is Alumina Costing You?

Is Temperature Stability Important?

FAQ: Is temperature stability something you can forgive?
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View Resource for Is Temperature Stability Important?

Why Can't You Build Just One Filter?

FAQ: Why can't you build just one filter?
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View Resource for Why Can't You Build Just One Filter?

Product Documentation

High Reliability Components for Satellite Communications

Knowles RF/microwave products deliver compact, reliable satellite communication solutions with stable performance.
View Resource for High Reliability Components for Satellite Communications
View Resource for High Reliability Components for Satellite Communications

RF/MW Filter Technologies

Knowles filter technologies deliver high-performance, compact RF solutions from VHF to V-band.
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View Resource for RF/MW Filter Technologies

SWaP-C Optimized Parts for Radar Systems

Knowles RF and capacitor solutions help radar systems reduce SWaP-C while delivering high performance.
View Resource for SWaP-C Optimized Parts for Radar Systems
View Resource for SWaP-C Optimized Parts for Radar Systems

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