RF cable connection to board

[Grumps]

Hi

How do you calculate loss due to a soldered coax cable direct to the board?

I have an RG316 cable with SMA connector on one end. But I'm trying to
decide if it is best to terminate both ends with RF connectors and then plug
this assembly into the board, or just to solder the wire to the board (seems
to be common practise with wireless routers).

Ta.

 

[BlindBaby]

Hi

How do you calculate loss due to a soldered coax cable direct to the board?

I have an RG316 cable with SMA connector on one end. But I'm trying to
decide if it is best to terminate both ends with RF connectors and then plug
this assembly into the board, or just to solder the wire to the board (seems
to be common practise with wireless routers).

Ta.

The cable interconnect is more expensive, but far more serviceable.

I thought that typical loss figures came from their (each connector)
data sheets.

 

[Jeroen Belleman]

Hi

How do you calculate loss due to a soldered coax cable direct to the board?

I have an RG316 cable with SMA connector on one end. But I'm trying to
decide if it is best to terminate both ends with RF connectors and then plug
this assembly into the board, or just to solder the wire to the board (seems
to be common practise with wireless routers).

Seems to me the relevant issues are cost and convenience.
The difference in loss hardly matters and could well be of
either sign. And RG316 is lossy stuff anyway.

Jeroen Belleman

 

[Grumps]

The cable interconnect is more expensive, but far more serviceable.

I thought that typical loss figures came from their (each connector)
data sheets.

For the connectors they do.
I was wondering about losses where the cable is soldered directly to the
board.

 

[Grumps]

Seems to me the relevant issues are cost and convenience.
The difference in loss hardly matters and could well be of
either sign. And RG316 is lossy stuff anyway.

Thanks. It's much cheaper to solder directly than use another connector
pair. Labor costs are low where this is going to be produced.

Can you suggest another (flexible) cable that is good at 5GHz, and a
compatible SMA?
I found some RG316 that had about 2.5dB/m attenuation at 5gig.

 

[BlindBaby]

For the connectors they do.
I was wondering about losses where the cable is soldered directly to the
board.

You can probably model it and any or all parasitic effects it carries.

I think we call it guesstimation.