The Keysight N28xxA/B Passive Probes are a family of low-cost, general-purpose 10:1 passive probes covering bandwidths from 50 MHz through 500 MHz. The family includes the N2840A, N2841A, N2842A, N2843A, N2853A, N2862B, N2863B, N2889A, and N2890A, each tuned to a specific bandwidth and rise time tier. The N2889A is unique in the family in offering a switchable 1:1 / 10:1 attenuation ratio selected by a switch in the probe handle.

These probes are designed for general-purpose voltage measurement on oscilloscope channels with 1 MΩ BNC inputs. Per the datasheet, the probes are compatible with Keysight InfiniiVision and Infiniium Series oscilloscopes. The N284xA series — N2840A, N2841A, N2842A, N2843A, and N2853A — are described as frequency-tuned versions of the N2862B, N2863B, N2889A, and N2890A, offering more linear frequency response when paired with Keysight oscilloscopes.

ValueTronics International is an authorized source for Keysight test and measurement accessories, with passive probes and supporting components stocked alongside the oscilloscopes they pair with. Each {{CONDITION}} probe shipped from our 20,000 sq ft secure warehouse at 1675 Cambridge Drive, Elgin, Illinois is processed by the same staff who handle the host instruments — so probe model, accessory completeness, and bandwidth match against the intended oscilloscope channel are verified before the order leaves the facility.

Brand Heritage

Keysight Technologies was established in 2014 when Agilent Technologies separated its electronic measurement business into a standalone company. Agilent itself was created in 1999 as a spinoff of the test and measurement, semiconductor, and chemical analysis businesses of Hewlett-Packard. The Keysight probe and oscilloscope product lines carry forward an engineering heritage that traces directly back to HP's original test and measurement organization.

Compare Other Models in This Series

The N28xxA/B family is structured as a set of 10:1 passive probes spanning bandwidths from 50 MHz at the entry tier through 500 MHz at the top, with rise times scaling from 7 ns down to 700 ps. The datasheet groups the models as the N284xA frequency-tuned series (N2840A, N2841A, N2842A, N2843A, N2853A) and their N2862B/N2863B/N2889A/N2890A counterparts, with the N284xA versions described as offering more linear frequency response with Keysight oscilloscopes.

Within the family, the N2889A is the only model with a switchable attenuation ratio — selectable 1:1 or 10:1 via a switch in the probe handle — and the only model without Probe ID. All other models in the family are fixed 10:1 probes with Probe ID support.

Each new probe model below is listed as its own product page with condition-matched pricing. Selection across the family is driven primarily by the bandwidth tier required by the host oscilloscope channel and the rise time of the signals being measured.

The clearest differentiator between models in this family is the bandwidth and rise time tier. The N2840A sits at the entry level (50 MHz, 7 ns rise time, 15 pF input capacitance, 1.2 m cable). The N2862B and N2841A occupy the 150 MHz tier (2.33 ns rise time, 15 pF, 1.2 m). The N2863B and N2842A move up to 300 MHz with 1.16 ns rise time and 11 pF input capacitance.

Beyond bandwidth, the practical differences are Probe ID support (present on every model except the N2889A), cable length (1.2 m on most models, 1.3 m on N2889A/N2890A, 2 m on N2853A), and attenuation flexibility (fixed 10:1 on all models except the switchable N2889A). Maximum input voltage, scope compensation range, and operating temperature are common across the family — see the comparison table that follows for the full specification matrix.

Additional differences in specifications beyond the few shown above are not listed here — see each model's full specifications below.

Accessories Supplied

• Retractable hook (1)
• Adjustment tool (1)
• Insulating cap (1)
• IC insulating cap (1)
• Identification tags - green, yellow, purple and pink (2 each)
• Probe tip (2)
• Ground spring (1)
• BNC adapter (1)
• Ground lead, black 12 cm (1)

Product Core & Specifications

Please review the Manufacturer's Data Sheet to verify published specifications. Feedback on this webpage is always welcome — please reach out to your Test Architect at any time for questions or concerns. Thank you, we truly appreciate you being our customer.