Main specifications of RF connectors

Impedance: Almost all RF connectors and cables are standardized to a 50Q impedance. The only exception is that 75Q systems are typically used for cable TV installations. It is also an important RF coaxial cable connector that matches the characteristic impedance of the cable. If not, the introduction and loss of a discontinuity may lead to.

VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio): Ideally, it should be cohesive, well-designed, and implemented to maintain VSWR below 1.2 within the range of interest.

Frequency range: Currently, most RF operations are in the range of 1 to 10 GHz, so connectors must have low losses in this area. For situations above 10GHz - there are many works, and now there are things in the range of 10 to 40GHz - among them, choosing newer connectors is expensive because it is the cable itself.

Insertion loss: This is the connector loss within the frequency range of interest. The loss is usually between 0.1 and 0.3 decibels. In most designs, even such small losses must be minimized and included in the link loss budget to determine how critical per watt (or fractional watt) is. It is particularly important in the low-noise front end when the signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio are low.

Operating cycle: How many connection/disconnection cycles can be sustained while still meeting its specifications? This is usually done in 500 or 1000 cycles. The tightening torque specified by the supplier for threaded connectors is an important factor in maintaining performance and reliability.

Power: The power processing is determined by two resistance losses (heating) and insulation breakdown. Although even decades of design have mainly focused on pre-processing tens of watts, today's design industry focuses on low-power devices such as smartphones, microcells and femtocell base stations, video interfaces, RF, and small gadgets. These are within the range of 1W, so the connector can be much smaller and its rated power is subject to smaller constraints.