Many advanced industries require high power for operating electrical systems and communications
High Power
Radio frequency (RF) technology is used in military, telecom, healthcare, and many other advanced industries to enable communications and deliver the high power required to operate a broad range of electronics systems. Applications include MRI machines, RF ablation, electronic warfare, particle accelerators, radar, semiconductor manufacturing, broadcast, industrial laser, test chambers, and more.
Most common high power applications involve high level of continuous wave (CW) energy. When power is transmitted through a cable assembly, insertion loss becomes heat that dissipates from the cable and connector, resulting in inefficiency and higher system operating temperature.
In applications involving high CW power, coaxial cable assemblies can have thermal management implications. High power applications require coaxial cables and interconnects to balance thermal properties and limitations of power delivery. A sudden rise in device temperature must be mitigated to prevent catastrophic breakdown or shortened lifespan.
Low Loss Impacts High Power
Low loss is another critical performance parameter for RF interconnects transmitting high power. Insertion loss is predominantly a square root function of frequency Transmission at 2 GHz over the same cable length would incur about 50% more loss than 1 GHz.
This presents a cabling challenge as power handling becomes an issue when the cable size is limited, as it is in ablation and many other applications. Tradeoffs must be made to balance power, heat, flexibility, and ergonomics. High power handling must also be balanced with other mechanical and electrical constraints in real-world applications. For example, larger low-loss interconnects may not be suitable for high-density systems. Selecting the right RF interconnect components for high-power applications can be the difference between ideal performance and failure.
The best solution often requires a specialized RF interconnect system and component design to minimize loss, maximize power delivery, and optimize safety, ease of use and installation. It is critical to use a coaxial cable and connector solution designed specifically for a high-power application to ensure components mate together and the overall system performs correctly.
Customize High-Power Cable Solutions
At Times Microwave Systems, we understand the issues high-power RF interconnect solutions must address. We offer a broad portfolio of specialty cables with different loss characteristics and flexibility at a given size and more efficient options to help mitigate these issues. Customized design is crucial, so the specific cables, connectors, and cable assemblies can be matched for optimal performance in any application and custom fit its needs. Customers can take advantage of our full suite of high-power interconnects – with cable assemblies, connectors, and adapters available to complete your high-power setup.
Related Products
FBT HP MaxGain Assemblies Miltech Assemblies RG and M17 Cables SpaceFlight StripFlex
FBT
FBT is an indoor/outdoor highly fire-retardant, high-power coaxial cable. It is an option for return air handling plenums such as dropped ceilings and raised floors. It has a UL/NEC rating of ‘CL2P’ for plenum applications.
HP
The HP coaxial cables are high-power RF transmission lines designed for applications like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), semiconductor manufacturing equipment, high-power lasers, and more.
MaxGain Assemblies
MaxGain® is an ultra-low loss, flexible microwave coaxial cable with a full range of connectors available as fully tested custom cable assemblies.
Miltech Assemblies
Our MILTECH® family of hermetically sealed flexible RF and microwave transmission line assemblies is listed in the Qualified Products Database (QPD) by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and optimized for commercial, military, and other demanding applications. MILTECH features a proprietary application of a spiral flat strip braid that results in a cable assembly with superior phase stability without sacrificing flexibility
RG and M17 Cables
RG cables are MIL-Spec coax cables originally created to support WWII military applications. M17/RG’s have been widely adopted for commercial and military applications, and its QPL stature ensures a consistently high-quality product regardless of manufacturer.
SpaceFlight
The SpaceFlight product line embodies the critical requirements necessary for reliable performance in space. Our proprietary material conditioning and vacuum testing of assemblies ensure outgassing is minimized to meet NASA standards ASTM E‐595.
StripFlex
The StripFlex shielding system consists of an inner silver-plated flat ribbon braid, a spirally applied and overlapped composite aluminum tape interlayer, and an overall silver-plated round wire braid.
InstaBend
InstaBend® are flexible, coaxial microwave assemblies designed for interconnects between RF circuit cards, modules and enclosure panels. The cable can be bent very closely behind the connector, simplifying cable routing.
Micro Coaxial Cables
TF-047 is a versatile micro-coaxial cable ideal for high-density applications.
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