RF Interconnect Solutions for Extreme Environments

Radio frequency (RF) systems support vital functions in critical applications, including military electronics applications such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare (EW) systems, utilities infrastructure, hypersonic missiles, particle accelerators, satellites, spacecraft, aerospace, and much more. These systems must be extremely reliable and continually offer high performance—in very demanding and variable environments on the ground, in the air, in space and at sea.

RF systems for vital functions in critical applications must be extremely reliable in demanding environments from the ground and sea to space.

For example, applications such as hypersonic missile guidance will reach temperatures ranging from 200-250°C, or even as high as 600-1,000°C. Other applications such as particle accelerators and nuclear power plants operate in high-radiation environments. Some military electronics applications systems are exposed to corrosive salt spray in the ocean or high temperatures in the desert. Utility infrastructures are often exposed to varying weather conditions, natural disasters, etc. Any application exposed to flight and landings will be subject to extremely high vibration and shock environments.

An RF interconnect system that can withstand all the rigors of these tough environments is required. And while safety comes first, performance must also be flawless, as well as the ability to operate interference-free at all times.

Typical challenges in determining the optimal coaxial cables and connectors for extreme environments include evaluating factors such as signal-to-noise ratio, low loss, shielding, reliability, flexibility, superior amplitude stability, high density, low smoke, or non-outgassing materials, and more.