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Coaxial cable assemblies are at the heart of many conductive interconnect solutions from the module level to complete systems. Coaxial cable assemblies are used in a wide array of applications from low-cost connection of consumer equipment to extreme precision and reliability needed in aerospace and satellite communications. From R&D to defense, coaxial cable assemblies are relied upon to carry RF signals from the kilohertz to over 100 gigahertz. Hence, ensuring that a coaxial cable assembly meets the requirements of a given application is essential. Given the expansive range of use cases and coaxial transmission line designs, features, and specifications, the quality of coaxial cable assemblies also varies greatly.
The main considerations that determine the quality of a coaxial cable assembly are the materials used in construction, design, assembly, post-processing, and testing.
As most coaxial cable assemblies sold are assembled using automation, quality checks must be performed at virtually every step to ensure that the resulting cable shipped to a customer meets all the advertised standards requirements and data sheet specifications. Low-cost coaxial assemblies used in consumer applications may not undergo stringent quality checks, and may only pass through a single electrical test prior to shipment. Many coaxial cable manufacturers use abbreviated testing to lower the cost and increase the throughput of their testing facilities, as quality testing directly adds to the overall costs of an assembly.
There are many coaxial cable assembly use cases, however, that demand stringent quality control measures to be taken with thorough documentation of the verification and quality control testing. These applications include aerospace, defense, and satellite communication. RF test laboratories also require stringent quality controls and testing, though they may not require the depth of documentation of critical applications.
For applications that do require thorough documentation of the quality of a coaxial cable assembly, this documentation starts even before construction. For instance, defense standards require that even the materials used in the construction of the coaxial cable assembly be documented, along with the facility and process used to assembly the cables. The reason for such prudence, is that in case of a failure, the root cause can be determined as accounted for to minimize the impact of any potentially defective material or manufacturing practice.
Beyond materials quality testing, high quality coaxial cable assemblies are also mechanically and electrically at various stages of the assembly process. This includes ensuring the pin and connector attachments, crimping/soldering of the coaxial cable connectors to the coaxial cable, and gauging of the pin, insulator, and outer conductor positioning to guarantee that the cable and connector components are assembled within acceptable tolerances.
After mechanical quality testing, electrical quality testing is performed. The coaxial cable assembly data sheet typically indicates the ranges of all relevant electrical parameters of the assembly. These generally include insertion loss, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), dielectric withstanding voltage (DWV), impedance, and may also include additional parameters, such as passive intermodulation (PIM) response, phase delay, propagation velocity, and etc. Additional electrical parameters may be tested, as required by a specific application, such as with PIM for telecommunications applications and phase stability for high performance RF testing.
Learn more about Pasternack’s extensive line of Coaxial Cable Assemblies here (https://www.pasternack.com/nsearch.aspx?Category=Cable+Assemblies&sort=y&view_type=grid)
