Sun, 07/18/2010 - 06:06 — KETTANEH

Wireless RF Connectors Guide

There are several common types of connectors used in WiFi equipment today. The most common types are listed below for you convenience.


BNC Round connector with sloted mating collar.
One of the oldest kinds of RF connectors. It is a quick-disonnect used for coaxial cable, meaning it is not only used for Wireless Antenna extensions, but also for video, audio, and networking duties.
This connector is found on the following DataPro antenna cables: BNC to SMA cable BNC to BNC cable

N-Type Round screw-type connector, large.
The largest of the RF connectors, and very common to see on antennae. N-type connectors are usually rated up to 12.5GHz, making them usable in not just WiFi applications, but also in the higher end of the microwave spectrum.
This connector is found on the following DataPro antenna cables: N-Type extension cable N-Type to N-Type cable N-Type to RP-TNC cable N-Type to SMA cable N-Type to RP-SMA cable

SMA Round screw-type connector, small.
The smallest common RF connector. SMA was developed in the 1960's and is rated up to 18GHz.
This connector is found on the following DataPro antenna cables: SMA extension cable SMA to N-type cable SMA to SMA cable SMA to BNC cable

RP-SMA Round screw-type connector, Reverse Polarity
Reverse Polarity SMA was designed as a proprietary connector to make it more difficult for consumers to attach larger, potentially illegal antennae to their wireless products.
This connector is found on the following DataPro antenna cables: RP-SMA extension cable RP-SMA to N-Type cable

TNC Round screw-type connector
TNC is similar to BNC except for the connecting method. Where BNC has a slotted mating collar, TNC has a screw-down type connector. TNC's screw-down connector performs better than BNC in the microwave spectrum.
This connector is found on the following DataPro antenna cables: TNC extension cable TNC to TNC cable

RP-TNC Round screw-type connector, Reverse Polarity
Reverse Polarity TNC was designed with the same goals as RP-SMA-- to make it more difficult for consumers to attach larger, potentially illegal antennae to their wireless products. The designers simply applied this methodology to a different connector.
This connector is found on the following DataPro antenna cables: RP-TNC extension cable RP-TNC to N-type cable