SMA Connector & Adapters

At a glance

Representative specification

The figures below are a reference point for the series. They belong to one part – SMA female bulkhead connector – and are nominal factory values, not measured values. Other parts in the series differ.

Electrical

Mechanical and environmental

Material and plating

Source: WorldPeak factory specification sheet (nominal values, not measured). Interface capabilities quoted here describe the connector standard, not the performance of any particular part.

Compatibility and adapters

A SMA connector joins to almost every other interface we make. Which adapter you need depends on whether both ends sit in the same impedance system, which interface sets the frequency ceiling, and whether the joint is made on a rigid adapter or a pre-made pigtail. All 28 other interfaces are listed below.

⚠️ RP-SMA and standard SMA share the 1/4-36 thread, so they screw together – and they will not pass a signal. Reverse-polarity SMA swaps the gender of the centre contact, so an RP-SMA plug presents a socket where a standard SMA plug presents a pin. A dedicated reverse-polarity adapter is required; a standard SMA adapter will not work.

Adapter matrix – SMA to every interface in our range

Frequency rule for SMA: whichever interface is lower-rated sets the ceiling, and the adapter then caps it further. On a miniature 50 Ω link the ceiling is normally set by the small precision interface itself rather than by the adapter, so confirm the band of the exact part before design-in.

Direct: 19 interfaces. With conditions: 9. Do not force: none.

Recommended coaxial cable

The cable sets the loss, the bend radius and the termination method. These are the families we normally pair with a SMA connector.

Installation and handling notes

• Seat a bulkhead body against a flat washer on a flat panel. A burr under the flange changes the ground path and the return loss.
• Torque the bulkhead nut against a back-up wrench. Letting the body turn loads the centre contact instead of the panel.
• Wrap self-amalgamating tape from the cable up onto the body. Tape laid the other way funnels water into the joint.
• Log torque and date on every outdoor joint. It is the only way to tell a maintenance problem from a design problem later.
• Trim the braid to the dimension on the drawing and pull-test the crimp before the batch is released, not after a customer complains.

Typical applications

• Test and measurement – spectrum analysers, signal generators, vector network analysers
• Wi-Fi / WLAN access points, adapters and antennas
• GPS / GNSS receivers and active antennas
• Microwave and RF modules, filters and amplifiers
• Handheld and portable radios

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing RP-SMA with standard SMA. The threads are identical, so the parts screw together – but the centre contacts are the same gender, so no signal passes.
• Over-tightening. SMA is a small precision interface and is easily damaged; use a torque wrench rated for the interface.
• Mixing 50 Ω and 75 Ω SMA parts in one link.

Naming and terminology

On drawings this interface is written SMA. Slash and hyphen spellings are interchangeable throughout our range. Send the drawing as it stands and we will confirm the item against it.

Related interfaces

• 10-32 connectors - Compact panels
• BMA connectors - Rack blind-mate / ATE
• MCX connectors - GPS / wireless module
• NEX-10 connectors - 5G small cell

Why WorldPeak

WorldPeak (Zhenjiang WorldPeak Communication Co., Ltd.) builds miniature coaxial interfaces where panel space is tight and the joint still has to be repeatable. We make the connector and terminate the cable, so the assembly arrives matched to the cable you already use.

This series is one of 29 we make. The interfaces most often paired with it are 10-32, BMA, MCX and NEX-10.

• Buy the interface and the cable assembly together, so the pair is matched before it ships rather than after it fails.
• Because we machine and assemble the body ourselves, a non-standard cable group or thread is a drawing change, not a new supplier.
• OEM / ODM support - custom interfaces and assemblies for dense panels, your part number and private-label packaging.
• CE and RoHS conformant. Interface geometry is held to the MIL-STD-348 / IEC 61169 series dimensions.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does a SMA connector adapt to?

A. 19 interfaces directly and 9 with a condition (a matching pad, a flange chain or a pre-made pigtail). See the matrix above.

Q. Which cable should I use with a SMA connector?

A. Start with RG178 - miniature flexible leads inside handheld and benchtop equipment As an alternative, RG316 / RG316D suits general-purpose flexible jumpers and pigtails

Q. Can you supply this series in reverse polarity?

A. Yes. Reverse-polarity SMA keeps the same 1/4-36 thread but swaps the centre contact gender, so it screws onto a standard SMA part without passing a signal. Ask for the RP variant explicitly.

Next step

Send us the two interfaces you need to join, the cable you are using and the frequency band. We will confirm the right SMA part, adapter or assembly and send the specification sheet for that exact part.

Send the drawing and the band, and we will quote - OEM and ODM both handled in-house.

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