Small coax connector handles 5G frequencies

The C.Fl connector pair from Hirose Electric rises just 1 mm from a board and covers DC to 30 GHz.

With 5G networks adding mmWave small cells, a wave of consumer and IoT devices has begun. To meet the need for connecting RF devices, Hirose Electric has introduced the C.FL series of coax connectors that support frequencies from DC to 30 GHz. That frequency range covers the 28 GHz 5G frequency bands, all sub-6 GHz bands, and other that might come into use such as 12 GHz.

Consisting of a plug for coax cables, an SMT board-mount receptacle, and adapters for 2.4 mm and 2.92 mm connector types, the C.FL’s mated height measures 0.92 mm, small enough for many thin devices with space constraints. The connectors have a typical 50 Ω impedance. Maximum VSWR measures 1.4:1 from DC to 15 GHz, 1.5:1 from 15 GHz to 20 GHz, and 1.6:1 from 20 GHz to 30 GHz. The plot below shows the insertion loss and VSWR for the coax cable plug.