Purchasing and Technical Information for 50 ohm Coaxial Cable Assemblies and Jumpers - Licensed and Unlicensed Bands
INTRODUCTION Times Microwave Systems designs and manufactures the broadest range of 50 ohm coaxial cables, connectors and cable assemblies in the world. The ingenuity, quality and capability that make us first choice on virtually every military airframe in the free world are also evident in our commercial line of products. Our LMR cables with their low insertion loss, high flexibility, tight bend radius, ruggedness and resistance to moisture ingress offer exceptional value to our customers. While their standard construction exceeds the requirements of most applications, additional constructions in our LMR family provide solutions for every environmental condition, code requirement or for system optimization. It is not difficult to ruin the performance of a high quality cable through the use of poor quality connectors or termination mistakes. This fact becomes increasingly important with increased frequency. At 5.8 GHz the theoretical insertion loss of a jumper assembly can easily be doubled through deficiencies in the connector or termination process. Times is committed to the optimization of our cables, connectors and termination techniques. Times Microwave Systems is the leading supplier of cables, connectors and cable assemblies for broadband wireless applications. As a customer service oriented company, we have developed literally thousands of cable designs for our customers, with new products being originated on a regular basis. This brochure provides relevant technical and purchasing information regarding 50 ohm coaxial cable assemblies and jumpers - information needed to make proper selection decisions quickly for your broadband wireless cable assembly requirements. 2
Specialized WLAN Assemblies Quick LMR Cross Reference The cable assembly list below has been developed to provide a quick cross reference to a Times Microwave Systems part number for some of the more common configurations being used for WLAN applications. Any of these assemblies ordered by the TMS part number in the right hand column will be 100% tested for IL and VSWR in the relevant band. They will also be labeled with the Times Microwave Systems name and a description of the configuration. New systems and assembly requirements continue to be introduced. We would be glad to develop a TMS part number and appropriate stocking level for any new configuration that may be in demand. Equipment OEM OEM p/n or model Cable Length Connector 1 Connector 2 TMS p/n Alvarion LMR-195-DB 3' Nf Sm RA cust. AE14565 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 20' Nf Sm RA cust. AE14566 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 50' Nf Sm RA cust. AE14567 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 75' Nf Sm RA cust. AE14568 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 100' Nf Sm RA cust. AE14569 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 3' Nm Sm RA cust. AE14570 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 20' Nm Sm RA cust. AE14571 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 50' Nm Sm RA cust. AE14572 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 75' Nm Sm RA cust. AE14573 Alvarion LMR-195-DB 100' Nm Sm RA cust. AE14574 Cisco LMR-200-DB 5' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14575 Cisco LMR-200-DB 10' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14576 Cisco 72-2760-02 LMR-400-DB 20' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14577 Cisco 72-2761-02 LMR-400-DB 50' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14578 Cisco LMR-600-DB 20' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14579 Cisco LMR-600-DB 50' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14580 Cisco 72-2766-02 LMR-600-DB 100' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14581 Cisco 72-2787-02 LMR-600-DB 150' TNCm RP TNCf RP AE14582 Enterasy CSIES-AB-C20 LMR-200-DB 20' Nm Nm AE14583 Enterasy CSIES-AA-C20 LMR-200-DB 20' Nm RP NM RP AE14584 Enterasy CSIES-AB-C50 LMR-400-DB 50' Nm Nm AE14563 Enterasy CSIES-AA-C50 LMR-400-DB 50' Nm RP Nm RP AE14585 Enterasy CSIES-AB-C75 LMR-400-DB 75' Nm Nm AE14564 Enterasy CSIES-AA-C75 LMR-400-DB 75' Nm RP Nm RP AE14586 Orinoco LMR-100 2' WaveLANm RA Nf AE14587 Orinoco LMR-100 2' WaveLANm RA Nm AE14588 Proxim LMR-195-DB 3' Sm RP Nf AE14589 Proxim LMR-195-DB 3' Sm RP Nm AE14590 Proxim LMR-100 2' mmcx RA m Nf AE14591 Symbol LMR-195-DB 3' BNCm RP Nf AE14592 Symbol LMR-195-DB 3' BNCm RP Nm AE14593 3
802.11 WLAN Cable Assemblies Max. Insertion Loss at 2450 MHz (db) Max. Insertion Loss at 5875 MHz (db) Connectors Length (ft) Bend Rad.(in) Gold Silver Gold Silver LMR-200-DB Nm, NmRA, Nf, NfB 3 0.50 0.60 0.70 1.00 1.20 NmRP, Tm, Tf 5 0.50 0.95 1.05 1.55 1.75 Diameter: 0.195" TmRP, TfRP, Sm, 10 0.50 1.70 1.80 2.85 3.05 Jacket Material: Polyethylene SmRA, SfB 15 0.50 2.50 2.60 4.20 4.40 Color: Black or White (See Connectors page 5) 20 0.50 3.50 3.60 5.50 5.70 25 0.50 4.30 4.40 6.85 7.05 30 0.50 5.15 5.25 8.15 8.35 35 0.50 5.95 6.05 9.50 9.70 40 0.50 6.80 6.90 10.80 11.00 45 0.50 7.65 7.75 12.15 12.35 50 0.50 8.45 8.55 13.45 13.65 LMR-240-DB Nm, NmRA, Nf, NfB 3 0.75 0.48 0.58 0.80 1.00 NmRP, Tm, TmRP 5 0.75 0.75 0.85 1.25 1.45 Diameter: 0.240" Sm, SmRA, SfB 10 0.75 1.40 1.50 2.25 2.45 Jacket Material: Polyethylene(See Connectors page 5) 15 0.75 2.05 2.15 3.30 3.50 Color: Black or White 20 0.75 2.70 2.80 4.30 4.50 25 0.75 3.30 3.40 5.35 5.55 30 0.75 4.00 4.10 6.35 6.55 35 0.75 4.60 4.70 7.40 7.60 40 0.75 5.25 5.35 8.40 8.60 45 0.75 5.90 6.00 9.45 9.65 50 0.75 6.50 6.60 10.45 10.65 LMR-400-DB Nm, NmRA, Nf, NfB 3 1 0.30 0.40 0.55 0.75 NmRP, Tm, TmRP 10 1 0.80 0.90 1.30 1.50 Diameter: 0.405" Sm, Dm, Df 15 1 1.10 1.20 1.85 2.05 Jacket Material: Polyethylene(See Connectors page 5) 20 1 1.45 1.55 2.40 2.60 Color: Black or White 25 1 1.80 1.90 2.95 3.15 30 1 2.15 2.25 3.50 3.70 35 1 2.45 2.55 4.00 4.20 40 1 2.80 2.90 4.55 4.75 45 1 3.15 3.25 5.10 5.30 50 1 3.45 3.55 5.65 5.85 55 1 3.80 3.90 6.20 6.40 60 1 4.15 4.25 6.75 6.95 65 1 4.45 4.55 7.30 7.50 70 1 4.80 4.90 7.85 8.05 75 1 5.15 5.25 8.40 8.60 LMR-600-DB Nm, NmRA, Nf, NfB 3 1.5 0.25 0.35 0.40 0.60 NmRP, Tm, TmRP 10 1.5 0.55 0.65 0.95 1.15 Diameter: 0.590" Dm, Df 20 1.5 1.00 1.10 1.65 1.85 Jacket Material: Polyethylene(See Connectors page 5) 25 1.5 1.20 1.30 2.05 2.25 Color: Black 30 1.5 1.45 1.55 2.40 2.60 35 1.5 1.65 1.75 2.75 2.95 40 1.5 1.90 2.00 3.15 3.35 45 1.5 2.10 2.20 3.50 3.70 50 1.5 2.20 2.30 3.85 4.05 75 1.5 3.40 3.50 5.70 5.90 100 1.5 4.50 4.60 7.50 7.70 125 1.5 5.60 5.70 9.35 9.55 150 1.5 6.70 6.80 11.15 11.35 175 1.5 7.80 7.90 13.00 13.20 200 1.5 8.90 9.00 14.80 15.00 LMR-900-DB Nm, Nf, Dm, Df 10 3 0.40 * 0.70 * (See Connectors page 5) 25 3 0.85 * 1.45 * Diameter: 0.870" 50 3 1.55 * 2.65 * Jacket Material: Polyethylene 75 3 2.30 * 3.90 * Color: Black 100 3 3.00 * 5.10 * 125 3 3.75 * 6.35 * 150 3 4.45 * 7.55 * 200 3 5.90 * 10.00 * 250 3 7.35 * 12.45 * 300 3 8.80 * 14.90 * 4 * LMR-900 assemblies supplied with Gold Band connectors only.
Connectors Gold Band assemblies are made with the highest quality connectors. These connectors are mechanically rugged and optimized through design and tight tolerances to provide low VSWR across all frequency bands. With Times Microwave Systems Gold Band assemblies, a maximum 1.25:1 VSWR in the 2.4 GHz band and a 1.35:1 VSWR in the 6 GHz band are assured. This performance insures the absolute lowest insertion loss possible for the chosen cable size. Silver Band assemblies are made with our standard quality connectors. The Silver Band connectors are mechanically rugged and provide acceptable performance in the listed bands. They provide a maximum 1.35:1 VSWR in the 2.4 GHz band and a 1.50:1 VSWR in the 6 GHz band. Type N male (Nm) Type N male RA (NmRA) Type N female (Nf) Type N female BLK (NfB) Type N male RP (NmRP) Type TNC male (Tm) Type TNC female (Tf) Type TNC male RP (TmRP) Type TNC female RP (TfRP) Type SMA male (Sm) Type SMA male RA (SmRA) Type SMA female BLK (SfB) Type 7/16 DIN male (Dm) Type 7/16 DIN female (Df) Type 1.0/2.3 DIN male (1023m) Type MCX male (mcm) Type MMCX male RA (mmcmra) Type MCX male RA (mcmra) Type QMA male RA (QmRA) Type SMA female (SF) 5
Various Cable Types The cable-connector interface of all Times Microwave System assemblies is protected by heavy duty, adhesive lined, ATUM shrink boots. These boots bond to the connector and cable to provide rugged mechanical protection of the interface, as well as protection from the ingress of water. The standard LMR construction with a black UV resistant jacket prevents moisture from getting into the electrical path and meets or exceeds the vast majority of application requirements. Designed as a very rugged low-loss cable with a high degree of flexibility, the LMR cable has greater than 90 db of shielding. LMR -FR fire retardant rated, with either a black or white jacket provides the same low-loss performance as the standard LMR construction. Designed for indoor use, it meets all inbuilding code installation requirements except for installation in plenums. LMR-LLPL plenum rated, provides the same low-loss performance as the standard construction, while also meeting all in-building code requirements, including installation in plenums. It is designed for indoor use and has an orange color jacket for easy indentification. LMR Ultraflex cable utilizes a stranded center conductor and a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) jacket for increased flexibility. The insertion loss of this cable is about 15% higher than the standard LMR construction, due to the stranded center conductor. The TCom version of the LMR cable employs a silver plated copper flat braid and a spirally wrapped composite tape to maintain optimal performance with extended flexure. How to Order a Cable Assembly Cable Type Cable Length Performance Band LMR-400-DB/3ft/Nm/Nm/G Connector 1 Connector 2 Cable Type Length Connectors 1 & 2 Performance LMR-xxx ft See available connectors S/G LMR-xxx-FR in for the particular cable LMR-xxx-LLPL m LMR-xxx-UF cm LMR-xxx-W LMR-xxx-DB 6
WLAN Pigtail/PCIA Adapter Assemblies Cable Type Jacket O.D.(in) Min Bend Rad.(in) Temp. Range IL/100 @2.4GHz(dB) IL/100 @5.8GHz LMR-100 0.110 0.250-40 +85 39.00 64.00 T-Flex-405 0.104 0.125-65 +125 33.75 55.00 T-Flex-402 0.160 0.200-65 +125 19.00 32.00 SF-316 0.110 0.500-55 +200 42.00 67.50 RG-316 0.110 0.125-65 +125 41.50 67.00 Times Microwave Systems can provide quick turnaround of a wide assortment of standard and custom small flexible pigtail assemblies. These assemblies may be built with LMR-100, T- Flex-405 or many other cable constructions. The interfaces which are available include mcx s, mmcx s, QMA s, MC card, SMB s, BNC s and others. These assemblies are built in our Shanghai facility which is well suited for high volume production. 7
T-RAD Radiating Coax The T-RAD cable family offers an economical way of providing coverage in buildings and enclosed areas. The cable offers broadband performance to 2.5 GHz and is available with the same connectors as the standard LMR product, including nonstandard interfaces; such as, the reverse polarity designs. The cable is light weight, flexible and non-kinking. It is also available in low-smoke and non-halogen designs. In addition to providing a tool for designing areas of seamless coverage, the T-RAD offers a unique solution to data security. The cable can actually be formed at a given distance back from the security perimeter of the building and act as a hardware solution to data security. T-RAD-600 cutaway Nominal Loss at 2450 MHz (db) Nominal Loss at 2450 MHz (db) Connectors Length (ft) Bend Rad.(in) (coupling loss @ 20 feet) (insertion loss) T-RAD-600 Nm, NmRA, Nf 20 1.5 67 1.55 NfB, NmRP, Tm, 30 1.5 67 2.20 Diameter: 0.520" TmRP, TfRP, 40 1.5 67 2.85 Jacket Material: FR PVC Dm, Df 50 1.5 67 3.45 Color: Black or White (See Connectors page 5) 60 1.5 67 4.10 70 1.5 67 4.75 80 1.5 67 5.40 90 1.5 67 6.00 100 1.5 67 6.65 125 1.5 67 8.25 150 1.5 67 9.85 175 1.5 67 11.45 200 1.5 67 13.10 Transmitting/Receiving Coaxial Cable Coaxial Cable Console Data Communication PC s Main T-RAD Run Branch T-RAD Run T-RAD Pager Underground Walkway Hand-held (Personal Voice) 8
WLAN Applications The right cable for WLAN applications In the photo to the right, the LMR-400 is shown with three other competitive cable designs that are often seen in the field. The RG-213 gives up quite a bit to the LMR cable in terms of insertion loss, due to its solid dielectric and single braid construction. The various corrugated cable designs are much more susceptible to kinking than the LMR and require costlier connectors. Finally, the flexible, air dielectric cable that is shown to the far right is susceptible to moisture ingress, as well as high return loss and mis-match values, when formed into tight bends. Pre-terminated assemblies are often a smart choice The curves to the right demonstrate how easily the performance of the transmission line can deviate from the optimal. Keep in mind that we are using high quality cable and connectors in this demonstration and that the degradation of performance portrayed by the red curve is strictly due to errors in termination. This demonstration is not an exaggeration. We have evaluated many cables and cable assemblies in the lab and in the field at the request of customers and find these errors are commonplace. Minimize the variables in the field When possible, such as in the case of cable assemblies that are of standard length and or configuration, it is preferable to purchase pre-terminated assemblies, which are factory tested for VSWR and insertion loss across the applicable frequency band. 0 LMR-400 RG-213 3/8" 9913 Corrugated Air Dielectric 9
WLAN Applications The right cable for WLAN applications In the photo to the right, the LMR-400 is shown with three other competitive cable designs that are often seen in the field. The RG-213 gives up quite a bit to the LMR cable in terms of insertion loss, due to its solid dielectric and single braid construction. The various corrugated cable designs are much more susceptible to kinking than the LMR and require costlier connectors. Finally, the flexible, air dielectric cable that is shown to the far right is susceptible to moisture ingress, as well as high return loss and mis-match values, when formed into tight bends. Pre-terminated assemblies are often a smart choice The curves to the right demonstrate how easily the performance of the transmission line can deviate from the optimal. Keep in mind that we are using high quality cable and connectors in this demonstration and that the degradation of performance portrayed by the red curve is strictly due to errors in termination. This demonstration is not an exaggeration. We have evaluated many cables and cable assemblies in the lab and in the field at the request of customers and find these errors are commonplace. Minimize the variables in the field When possible, such as in the case of cable assemblies that are of standard length and or configuration, it is preferable to purchase pre-terminated assemblies, which are factory tested for VSWR and insertion loss across the applicable frequency band. 0 LMR-400 RG-213 3/8" 9913 Corrugated Air Dielectric 9
Notes for the Field The cable should always be handled, formed and secured, keeping in mind that the cable diameter must be maintained throughout its entire length. Cable and cable assemblies should always be examined for damage before starting any installation. Be especially observant of the outer cable layer on a reel to assure that it hasn t been damaged during shipping. When purchasing ready-made assemblies, be on the lookout for assemblies that are captivated by tight machineapplied cable ties. These ties can distort the impedance at regular intervals and create considerable VSWR spikes at a given frequency for long assemblies. Bending The minimum bend radius of the cable should not be exceeded. When approaching the minimum bend radius, a bend mandrel (something as simple as a tin can) may be used to provide a uniform bend. Never bend the cable directly behind the connector. All the work up to this point, such as using good quality cable, good quality connectors and closely controlling the termination variables amount to nothing if tight bends are made directly behind the connector and the impedance is distorted at this point. See photos. Paying out the cable Although the LMR design is much more resistant to kinking than the corrugated designs, there is a limit to the abuse that it can take and maintain its performance. Care should be taken to prevent kinking while paying out the cable. If one individual is paying out the cable, we recommend that the coil be suspended vertically (through a pipe or drum). Placement and support of the cable Avoid running the cable across the surface of an open rooftop or along the ground out in the open, where it may be trampled, driven over or have objects piled on top of it. When the traverse of an open area is necessary, it is recommended that a trough be used. You can purchase a commercially available metal trough or build one using pressure treated lumber. When running the cable between two points, suspended from the ground, always run a guy wire. Use UV resistant cable ties to support the cable every three feet along the length of the guy wire. The ties should be snug, but not over-tight. The cable should be run at a height that will allow people to pass under it unhindered and discourage the hanging of anything from it. Weather Sealing Any interface that is exposed to the environment should be weather sealed with material and means which will assure protection into the future against moisture ingress. Vinyl Mastic, Butyl Rubber and Cold Shrink are just some of the materials that are available to perform this job. The Times Microwave Systems CD has three different instructional videos covering weather sealing. We would highly recommend that anyone unfamiliar with weather sealing coaxial cable, spend a few minutes viewing these videos. Improper bend behind connector Proper bend behind connector Kinked cable (Corrugated design) 10
Commercial Jumper Cables and Assemblies Performance The use of higher frequencies for telecommunications applications has placed increasingly rigorous demands on cable assembly performance. Our 50 year plus background in military microwave assemblies has provided us the expertise to address these performance requirements, while our commercial expertise allows us to provide economical solutions. Testing VSWR or Return Loss Insertion Loss Time Delay Absolute or Relative Phase Matching Phase Trimming Value Added Variety of Strain Relief Boots Multitude of Labeling Possibilities Bar Coding Customized Packaging Assembly Serialization Test Data Competitively Priced Times Microwave Systems offers value engineered solutions. We manufacture more types of 50 ohm coaxial cable than anyone else in the world and stock hundreds of our own various connector designs. The Right Cable for the Application Assemblies are built from one of the different LMR cables or from one of the many other specially optimized cables, that have been designed by Times Microwave Systems. Following is a sample listing of our commercial cable assembly customers: Motorola Ericsson Enterasys Cisco Systems Lucent GE Medical Samsung Alvarion Novellus Aperto Networks Powerwave Applied Materials Proxim Inner Wireless Clearwire Technologies 11
Our Mission TIMES MICROWAVE SYSTEMS designs and manufactures high performance RF transmission line for the telecommunications industry. These products consist of flexible coaxial cable, connectors, accessories and cable assemblies. We are committed to understanding the needs and requirements of our customers and providing highly engineered, cost effective products. TIMES MICROWAVE SYSTEMS is dedicated to total customer satisfaction and superior results for our shareholders in all we do. World Headquarters: 358 Hall Avenue, Wallingford, CT 06492 203-949-8400, 1-800-867-2629 FAX: 203-949-8423 International Sales: 4 School Brae, Dysart, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland KY1 2XB UK +44(0)1592655428 FAX: +44(0)1592653162 China Sales: 16 F United Plaza, 1468 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai, China 200040 Tel: 86-21-32224506 Fax: 86-21-62898980 TEL: 86-21-53854500/53854501 FAX: 86-21-53854506 www.timesmicrowave.com 2005, Times Microwave Systems, Wallingford, CT 06492 BWCA-2 8/05