High-Performance RF Microwave Cable Is Put Through The Wringer

Samtec’s DesignCon 2025 booth overflowed with 11 product and technology demonstrations and displays. These included a first-of-its-kind demonstration of a 200G co-packaged copper channel, a 224 Gbps PAM4 test platform that provides scalability and cost benefits, 112 G front panel and backplane cable solutions, and a 110 GHz test assembly that enables 224 Gbps PAM4 SerDes characterization.

One demonstration we updated from last year proves the reliability and ruggedness of Samtec’s RF microwave cable and board-level RF connectors.

It incorporates Samtec Nitrowave^® phase and amplitude-stable, high-performance RF microwave cable assemblies. In stylish Samtec orange, it provides improved stability with flexure, a lower-density dielectric to minimize loss, and extended frequency ranges for optimal insertion loss performance in emerging bands.

There’s also Magnum RF^®, Samtec’s ganged, multi-port RF blocks, and cable assemblies for millimeter wave applications. They’re ideal when space is limited, and a high operating frequency is required.

Here’s what’s happening:  A Keysight P5028A VNA measures insertion loss to 43 GHz on a 3 meter Nitrowave cable. This cable is subject to dynamic flexing through a video arcade game. You heard that right — the flexing action is determined by the person playing the video game. 

And since the arcade had a leaderboard, the game was busy almost every minute of the show.  This cable was run through the wringer.

But wait, there’s more.  After flexing in the arcade, the Nitrowave cable travels to a Samtec Magnum RF eval board.  The Magnum RF mated connector set is subject to continuous shock and vibration, and the signal returns to the Keysight VNA.

Looking at the IL change graph, we see minimal variation in the IL during the two-day exhibition.  We can thank the dynamic performance layer for this result. 

If you have questions about this demo, please contact us at [email protected].