Custom Coaxial Cable Assembly Manufacturing Considerations

Custom Coaxial Cable Assembly

As more technology becomes electrified and wirelessly connected, there is an ever-growing need for more nuanced and diverse RF and high-speed digital interconnect. A key enabling technology for this are RF Coaxial Cable Assemblies that can be customized with different connector and cable types. Most standard coaxial cable assemblies are made with in-series connectors. Some are made with between-series connectors. This means that most coaxial cable assemblies have the same type of coaxial connector on both sides. However, there are many situations that may benefit from having different coaxial connector types on either end. Having a between-series coaxial cable assembly can eliminate the need for an adapter or two, and result in lower insertion loss and PIM response compared to alternative approaches.

Other cases arise where a particular cable configuration may be needed, with specific connectors and cable type, that are only offered in standard lengths that are not ideal for a given application. The length of a cable has a significant impact on the signal chain a cable is used in. For coaxial cables, the insertion loss, delay, and VSWR change with the length of a cable, specifically these factors increase with the length of a cable. For some applications that are trying to achieve optimal dynamic range, then it is desirable to have the exact length of cable that is necessary. This would minimize the insertion loss of a cable. In the case of delay, that is a function of the length as well, and some applications may need a very specific delay. A targeted delay can be achieved by knowing the per-unit-length reactance of a cable and choosing the appropriate length. If a desired cable doesn’t come in the exact length needed, either to minimize insertion loss and VSWR or to hit a targeted delay, then a user can either order a custom cable or attempt to fabricate their own cable.

Historically, ordering a custom coaxial cable has required consulting a coaxial cable manufacturer and going through a quoting process. In order to keep costs viable, an order of tens or hundreds of cables would be required, depending on the specialized features of the custom cables. Fortunately, there are now tools, such as The Cable Creator™, which make the process of designing and ordering custom cables a simple online process that requires filling out a simple set of forms.