Rugged, Flexible, High Performance Cable Assemblies

摘要

Communication systems, test equipment and avionics are among the systems that often need to interconnect various RF modules with high performance coaxial cables. Semi-rigid cables have long been the traditional way to achieve the necessary VSWR performance at RF and microwave frequencies when delay lines or signal routing between modules call for customized cable connections. Unfortunately, these cable types sacrifice their flexibility for the benefit of electrical performance and ruggedness. Semi-rigid assemblies may even lack mechanical integrity at the cable-to-connector solder joint. In systems with numerous RF cable interconnects, the effort to design and assemble a network of inflexible cables with fixed turns and bends can be both challenging and time-consuming. While flexible customized cables circumvent this problem, they often sacri- fice ruggedness and electrical performance until now.