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Shielding Effectiveness in RF Cable Assemblies Explained
The outer conductor of a coaxial cable has two jobs, and they are the same job seen from two sides. It has to keep the RF signal inside the cable so it does not leak out and radiate. And it has to keep external RF energy from getting in and c… More
Posted on 7/27/2026
RF Cable Signal Loss and Attenuation: Complete Engineer's Guide
Every RF cable loses signal. That is not a defect. It is physics, and it is the single most consequential engineering choice you make on any RF link. Whether you are running a 5G rooftop jumper, wiring a satellite ground station, building a r… More
Posted on 7/28/2026
VSWR and Impedance Matching in RF Cables: Complete Guide
VSWR is the number that quietly tells you whether your RF system is working the way it was designed to work. Every RF cable assembly, every connector, every mating interface is trying to hold 50 ohms across the whole signal path. When it do… More
Posted on 7/28/2026
How to Measure RF Cable Loss Accurately: VNA and Field Guide
Every RF cable loses some signal. The number on the datasheet is the manufacturer's promise. The number on your bench is the truth. When those two disagree, one of them is wrong, and finding out which is the whole point of learning to measure… More
Posted on 7/28/2026
Electrical vs Mechanical Antenna Tilt: Engineer's Guide + Math
A cellular sector antenna with 17 dBi of gain and 1.15:1 VSWR will deliver terrible coverage if it is pointed the wrong way. The whole point of the antenna is to focus RF energy into the intended cell area, and everything from user throughput… More
Posted on 7/28/2026
Selecting the Right Semi-Rigid RF Cable Assemblies
The cable inside your Vector Network Analyzer that measures 40 GHz to 0.05 dB accuracy. The interconnect in a phased-array radar that has to hold phase across 200 channels. The RF distribution inside a satellite transponder that has to work i… More
Posted on 7/29/2026
Wi-Fi Module Connection to Antenna: RF Connection Guide for Engineers
You designed a beautiful little IoT gateway. The Wi-Fi module is a good one, the antenna is spec'd for the band, the enclosure looks great. First article of production comes back and the Wi-Fi range is half what your engineering sample delive… More
Posted on 7/29/2026
RF Cable Assembly Design Guide: PCB to Antenna Reliability
Most wireless product failures aren't RF failures. They're mechanical failures wearing an RF costume. A cracked solder joint under an SMA connector. A U.FL that got side-loaded and lifted the pad. A pigtail pinched by the enclosure seam. A bu… More
Posted on 7/31/2026
What is the main difference between coaxial cable and waveguide?
Every RF signal that travels more than a few millimeters needs a transmission line, and for most of the last century the industry has had two serious answers: coaxial cable and waveguide. They solve the same problem (guide electromagnetic ene… More
Posted on 7/31/2026
Custom RF Spiral Cable Assemblies: Coiled Coax Design Guide
Some RF connections need to move. A handheld radio clipped to a belt with its speaker mic on the shoulder. A vehicle antenna feeding a dash-mounted transceiver across a cab that flexes over every pothole. A test probe that gets pulled across … More
Posted on 8/1/2026