Meridian Cable designs and produces custom SMA connector cable assemblies for the exacting standards of industries like the Health and Medical fields and the Military. With decades of experience as a custom cable assembly and wire harness manufacturer, we’re able to bring your project from the very first design concept all the way through volume manufacturing. Our skilled team of in-house engineers, designers, and craftsmen follow strict project control measures, executed with a proven project management approach, which ensures every project is completed on-time and on-budget, every time.
With manufacturing facilities in both the United States and in China, we are able to leverage a global logistics network for efficiently and dependably delivering products to our clients around the world.
What is an SMA Connector?
Sub-Miniature type A (SMA) connectors offer a versatility of applications from which they can provide the perfect solution as part of an overall SMA cable assembly. These steady workhorses are useful in high-frequency applications, particularly those in cutting edge medical devices. The screw-type coupler provides a minimal connection mechanism for coaxial cables, making them highly customizable to the client’s unique set-up.
SMA RF connectors can come in the form of a single connector which, when engineered for the task at hand, can help provide the crucial connection needed within a client’s existing system. The SMA cable assembly takes it a step further to provide multiple SMA connections and adapters within an electrical system. With all of the customization options here, the SMA cable assembly allows for the greatest range of different applications from industrial control systems to communications infrastructure.
Male and Female SMA RF Connectors used in SMA Cable Assemblies
The SMA RF connectors that are engineered into the SMA cable assembly will be both male and female to provide the crucial connections high-frequency electronic devices need to steadily transmit/receive power, data, and/or signal.
The male SMA connectors look just like a standard residential coaxial connection with a center pin inside of its threaded barrel. The female connector acts like a protective sleeve around the barrel to provide assurance for a consistent connection. The female SMA connectors typically will be attached to a stationary device while the male SMA connectors are used as a connection point.
Special Design Considerations for SMA Cable Assemblies
SMA cable assemblies might seem simple, but their engineering can be rather complex. During the design process, our engineers must calculate the correct dimensions in the connection precisely. The production team too must be perfect, with a lot of specialized attention focused on the soldering of the connector. This may seem like a small step in the overall design process, but if just a little too much soldering is used an impedance mismatch can occur. Our team is extremely well versed in following the precise steps required to produce a viable, functioning product.
Getting your SMA Cable Assembly Project Up and Running
With SMA cable assemblies, our design team can take your product from wherever it is in the production process - from just a concept or a prototype run, all the way to volume manufacturing. Our products are meticulously engineered for quality, with an ongoing commitment to ensuring that level of quality is consistently met across the board.
Ready to get started? Contact our team now to start reviewing your project’s unique specifications.
Reliability and Functionality in One Package
SMA connectors are able to provide a steady broadband connection from the KHz range up to 18 GHz, and even more in some cases. The engineered reliability of the SMA connector is achieved by a constant impedance of 50 ohms and a low reflection. SMA connectors can achieve this low reflection point, as well as good attenuation because of their engineered shape. The shape is what helps to maintain a uniform connection contact.
Many SMA RF connectors produced will utilize a right-angle design but there are also straight angle designs available. The design of the connector will always depend on the circuit. Right angle design is a solid design element as it will help to maintain impedance at a standard level.
The SMA is coaxial, with the characteristic screw-type coupler. Standard specs for an SMA RF connector include:
Standard SMA Coaxial Cable Assembly Specifications
- Uses a 1/4 inch and 36 thread-type coupler
- Male SMA connectors use a 5/16 inch hex nut. This design feature allows the application of torque by a standard 1/2 inch torque wrench to easily tighten or loosen the connector.
- Female SMA connectors use a 4.32 millimeters-long thread for coupling.
- An SMA RF connector cable assembly will employ a special silicon rubber O-ring inside the connector which provides a separation between the body and the coupler. This helps mitigate against external threats such as dust and moisture.
The SMA Connector Cable Assembly Used by Leading Medical Teams
The SMA connector is one of most widely used RF-type connectors because of the screw-type coupler system. This allows the SMA to be mechanically sturdy and affords reliable performance. Stability, strength of design, reliability, and the ability to custom fit the SMA RF connector into an SMA cable assembly makes the SMA RF connector the go-to for fields with sophisticated requirements such as in the medical and health fields.
With experience built upon producing tens of thousands of SMA RF connectors for medical devices, our team is able to design the perfect connection for complex medical systems. Our team is able to design and produce to the exacting standards required by clients in the medical field helps power the devices and equipment that leads to medical breakthroughs and life-saving treatments.
Customization Options with an SMA Cable Assembly
Incorporating an SMA connector into an SMA cable assembly is no sweat for a design team that has produced thousands upon thousands of different iterations within the custom cable assembly sphere. Calling on years of experience, we can help guide our clients to the perfect combination of different materials, sizes, shapes, and configurations to accomplish a given task.
Custom design considerations that help to ensure the product performs as it should, cycle after cycle, include variations to:
- Conductor Gauge Sizing
- Conductor Stranding Sizes
- Many Different Materials Available