RF Cable Applications

AEROSPACE

Aerospace and defense applications require cables that perform under harsh environments while meeting high MTBF requirements. Many cables fail under extreme conditions, thus threatening the success of a mission and possibly the lives of personnel that depend on communication equipment and sensors. Connector and coax selection are important when building cables to perform under severe situations, such as high-vibration and temperature environments, but just as important is cable construction to produce reliable cable assemblies for the demanding conditions of a jet fighter, space launch, or Humvee.

MILITARY APPLICATIONS

For mission success, safety, and survival, the military depends on key avionics and tactical gear to offer real-time intelligence and continual communication. Cables and cable assemblies attached to these advanced devices are unquestionably a lifeline for military people. Complex routing can easily harm cable materials, leading to abrasion, cut-through, and even breakage. Cable materials may deteriorate over time as a result of additional stress factors such as high temperatures, harsh chemicals, rough terrain, severe vibration, and high impact. These difficulties might endanger missions and people safety while also necessitating costly cable replacements, upkeep, repairs, labor, and downtime.

TEST & MEASUREMENT

A test system requires equipment that performs at least 10X better than a DUT (device under test). A phase measurement of 5 degrees is not possible, for example, if test cables change 2 to 3 degrees while measuring a DUT. It is important, therefore, to select high-performance test cables that can handle continuous movement. with minimal amplitude and phase changes. Test-cable durability becomes very important in production test environments, such as wafer or IoT device testing, since the constant probe movement will degrade cable performance over time. Test cable selection can mean the difference between reliable test data and the need to retest a production run.

TELECOMMUNICATION

Telecommunication companies provide wireless connectivity from cities to farmlands via cell towers that cover large areas using macrocells, and microcells in urban areas and inside buildings. Wireless means more wires and cables are needed to connect antennas, macro cells and small cells, and even WiFi networks as 5G coverage expands into more areas and higher frequencies. Whether backhaul links are provided via P2P radios, satellite, or fiber, RF cables provide a vital role by keeping signal loss low, and RF leakage at a minimum while meeting building and environmental exposure requirements.