1. CONNECTORS 101

2. HISTORY
IN THE LATE 1940’S AND EARLY 1950’S THERE WAS AN INCREASING NEED FOR CONNECTORS TO WORK WITH THE NEW COAXIAL CABLE DESIGNS.
TWO GIFTED ENGINEERS, PAUL NIELL OF BELL LABS AND CARL CONCELMAN AT AMPHENOL WORKED ON SEVERAL NEW CONNECTOR DESIGNS THAT BECAME INDUSTRY STANDARDS.
THEIR WORK RESULTED IN THE BNC, TNC, N AND C ONNECTORS.
THESE CONNECTORS ARE NAMED AFTER THESE ENGINEERS.

3. CONNECTOR AND COAXIAL CABLE DESIGN

4. FREQUENCY RANGE

5. COMMON CONNECTORS UHF - IMPEDANCE UNDEFINED / USABLE TO 200 MHZ
F – 75 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 1GHZ
BNC – 50 OR 75 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 4 GHZ
SMB – 50 or 75 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 4 GHZ
SMC – 50 or 75 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 10 GHZ
TNC – 50 or 75 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 11 GHZ
N – 50 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 11GHZ
SMA – 50 OHMS IMPEDANCE / USABLE TO 18 GHZ

6. CRIMP AND CLAMP CONNECTORS
TWO BASIC WAYS TO ATTACH THE CABLE BRAID TO THE CONNECTOR BODY.
CRIMP METHOD UTILIZES A CRIMP TOOL WITH THE CORRECT DIE SIZE.
CLAMP METHOD USES A WRENCH TO APPLY THE CORRECT TORQUE TO A NUT WHICH IS PART OF THE CONNECTOR KIT.

7. CAPTIVATED AND NON-CAPTIVATED CENTER PIN
CAPTIVATED CENTER PIN IS HELD IN THE CONNECTOR INSULATOR BY EITHER EPOXY OR A MACHINED GROOVE IN THE INSULATOR.
NON-CAPTIVATED CENTER PIN IS HELD IN PLACE BY THE CENTER CONDUCTOR OF THE COAXIAL CABLE. THIS METHOD IS ONLY USED WHEN THE COAX CENTER CONDUCTOR IS A SOLID CENTER CONDUCTOR.

8. SOLDERED AND PUSH IN CENTER PIN
AS THE NAME IMPLIES, SOLDER TYPE CENTER PIN IS WHEN THE COAXIAL CABLE CENTER CONDUCTOR IS SOLDERED TO THE CENTER PIN OF THE CONNECTOR. THIS METHOD CAN BE USED WITH EITHER A SOLID OR STRANDED COAX CENTER CONDUCTOR.
PUSH IN CENTER PIN HAS INTERNAL BARBS THAT BITE INTO THE CENTER CONDUCTOR OF THE COAXIAL CABLE CAPTIVATING IT WITH A GAS TIGHT SEAL. THIS METHOD IS ONLY USED WITH A SOLID CENTER PIN. WILL NOT WORK WHEN THE CENTER CONDUCTOR OF THE COAX IS STRANDED.

9. BNC CONNECTORS

10. N CONNECTORS

11. SMA CONNECTORS

12. SMB CONNECTORS

13. SMC CONNECTOR

14. ADAPTERS BETWEEN AND IN-SERIES ADAPTERS ARE AVAILABLE.
BETWEEN SERIES ADAPTERS ARE USED WHEN CONNECTING TOGETHER CONNECTORS OF DIFFERENT TYPES.
IN-SERIES ADAPTERS ARE USE WHEN CONNECTING TOGETHER CONNECTORS OF THE SAME TYPE.

15. INSERTION LOSS
INSERTION LOSS OCCURS WHENEVER A CONNECTOR IS CONNECTED TO ANOTHER CONNECTOR.
MEASURED IN DB.
3 dB REPRESENTS HALF THE POWER LOST ON THE TRANSMIT SIDE OR WORSE WHEN HALF THE SIGNAL LOST ON THE RECEIVE SIDE.
LOTS OF VARIABLES INVOLVED, BUT A BAD CONNECTION, USING THE WRONG CONNECTOR OR IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED CONNECTOR CAN EASILY CREATE A 3dB SIGNAL LOSS AT THE CONNECTOR POINT.

16. INSERTION LOSS DEPENDENT ON FREQUENCY
THE HIGHER THE FREQUENCY THE GREATER THE INSERTION LOSS FOR A GIVEN CONNECTOR.
THE HIGHER THE FREQUENCY THE MORE CRITICAL THE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY IS. ABOVE 1 GHZ THE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY.