There are some differences between RF cable and coaxial cable in design principle, structure, characteristics and uses.
1. Different design principles:
Coaxial cables are mainly used for low and medium frequency signal transmission, while RF cables are mainly used for high frequency signal transmission.
2. Different frequency range:
Coaxial cable frequency range is generally 0-11GHz, while RF cable can cover a higher frequency range, and can even transmit high-frequency signals to tens of GHZ.
3. Different shielding effect:
The coverage rate of the mesh shielding layer of coaxial cable is generally more than 70%, and the shielding effect of RF cable is better, usually using twisted shielding or ring shielding to effectively avoid electromagnetic interference.
4. Different construction:
The outer diameter of the coaxial cable is relatively large, which is suitable for occasions where the signal transmission distance is long. The outer diameter of the RF cable is relatively small, and it is suitable for occasions where the distance between the connected devices is close.
5. Different application range:
Coaxial cable is mainly used in radio, television, radio communication and other fields. The RF cable is mainly used in satellite communications, communication base stations, aerospace, radar and other high-end fields.
Characteristic impedance is the first parameter to consider when selecting cables, which depends on the diameter size of the inner and outer conductors of the cable and the equivalent dielectric constant of the insulation structure.
The attenuation constant is one of the most important parameters of RF cables, which reflects the magnitude of the loss of electromagnetic wave energy during transmission along the cable.
The voltage standing wave ratio (return loss) mainly reflects the uniformity of the characteristic impedance along the length direction inside the cable.
Capacitance is an important parameter of RF cables, especially in applications such as oscilloscopes and computers that transmit pulse signals. In order to reduce waveform distortion of signals, cables are required to have the lowest possible capacitance.
The dielectric withstand voltage is used to test the dielectric strength of the cable insulation layer, which is related to the actual working voltage requirements of the cable.
Insulation resistance is another indicator reflecting the quality of cable insulation layer. When the cable is damp or the insulation medium is defective, the insulation resistance will decrease, thereby affecting the normal use of the cable.
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