Samtec’s new 1.85mm 30-degree angled launch board connector – the 185-AL Series – promises precision RF performance to 67GHz whilst solving common mechanical and routing challenges found in dense, millimeter-wave lab test and evaluation environments.
Modern RF and high-speed digital test boards often face tight mechanical constraints that make cable routing difficult or unreliable. The 30-degree angled launch geometry of the Samtec 185-AL Series allows coaxial cables to exit the PCB in a natural direction, significantly reducing sharp bends that can degrade electrical stability.
The solderless, compression mount design enables field replaceable functionality. Eliminating the need for solder reflow enables rapid connect/disconnect to the printed circuit board, significantly reducing downtime and allowing connector reuse. It also removes performance variability that can occur with solder, enabling repeatable precision millimeter-wave performance.
The coupling is threaded for mechanical reliability. Mating interconnects include Samtec’s high-performance microwave cable assemblies, such as .047” diameter RF047-A Series cable, .086” diameter RF086 Series cable, and stable during flexure Nitrowave LL071 Series cable. Mechanical stress when bending or twisting can change the dielectric’s properties and alter performance, with effects more pronounced at higher frequencies. Nitrowave cable’s optimized cable construction, which includes a Dynamic Performance Layer, protects from measurement errors that can occur due to flexure.
