Advantages And Disadvantages Of Different RF Cables

With a wide variety of RF cables on the market with their own characteristics, choosing the right RF/microwave cable assembly is a very important task. Today, I will briefly introduce the advantages and disadvantages of RF cables.

All coaxial cables contain a center conductor consisting of a dielectric insulator (usually PTFE), an outer metal shield to prevent signal leakage, and an outer jacket to protect the inner layer from damage. Coaxial cables can be divided into semi-rigid, flexible, etc. Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of these two cables.

(1) Semi-rigid cable

Semi-rigid coaxial cable assemblies use solid copper tubing as the outer jacket, rather than braided jacket, which provides excellent shielding and is useful in some high frequency applications, but its main disadvantage is inflexibility.

advantage:

Efficient RF Transmission

Highly shielded

Tight bend radii possible

Excellent return loss

Can meet any size requirements

shortcoming:

Cable is not flexible

Poor soldering process can lead to cracked solder joints during installation

(2) "RG" type cable

"RG" type cables use a metal braided outer shield instead of the solid tube used in semi-rigid cables. This gives them greater flexibility and elasticity, making them suitable for repeated use in a variety of curved shapes and relatively more affordable than semi-rigid designs. Type RG cables can be manufactured faster than more complex braided flex cable types, reducing cost and lead time. Conductor, dielectric, and shield types vary widely within this category, but in general, braided shields are inherently more lossy than solid tubes, resulting in greater attenuation and lower maximum frequency ratings.

advantage:

various kinds

Bendable

Connector selection depends on cable, with options for crimp, clip and direct solder

shortcoming:

Fewer than semi-rigid shielding

Slightly higher attenuation than similarly sized semi-rigid

Poor assembly techniques and strain relief often result in early connector failures.