Carlisle Interconnect Technologies (CarlisleIT) has released the UTiPHASE series of microwave cable assemblies that delivers high electrical phase stability versus temperature. Target applications include defense, space, and testing including commercial and military phased-array radars, as well as aerospace SATCOM and traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS), synthetic aperture radars, thermal test sets, and any RF/microwave system operating at or near room temperature.
For phase-critical flexible cable applications, the UTiPHASE microwave cable assemblies combine CarlisleIT’s UTiFLEX flexible coaxial microwave cable technology with a thermally phase-stable proprietary dielectric that mitigates the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) “knee.”
Typically, microwave cable assemblies use PTFE or expanded PTFE (e-PTFE) as the dielectric layer, which undergoes dimensional changes with temperature, explained the company. This change “in physical dimensions manifests itself in the phase versus temperature curve of PTFE microwave cable assemblies in what is commonly referred to as the Teflon or PTFE knee,” which may cause adverse electrical length changes, particularly around room temperature.
UTiPHASE’s thermally phase-stable dielectric mitigates PTFE knee by flattening the phase vs. temperature response curve, which minimizes system phase variation and increases accuracy, according to the company.
Other features of the new cable assemblies include a concentric-core construction for improved reliability and crush resistance and a velocity of propagation of at least 80% with “excellent” insertion loss. The cables are universally configurable with existing standard connectors and armor. Click here for more information about the company’s cable assemblies and harnesses.
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