Best connector for AF square waves?

E

eromlignod

Guest
Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.

Thanks for any replies.

Don
 
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:36:38 -0700 (PDT), eromlignod
<eromlignod@aol.com> wrote:

Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.
Click to expand...
F connectors are relatively cheap and also easy to install, if they'll
fit your cables. Do the cables have an "RG" designation?

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
 
eromlignod wrote:
I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.
Click to expand...
Any of those is way too clunky for a little delicate 0.1 OD shielded
wire. Is it "coax," i.e., does it have a published impedance? Digi-key
has 4526 choices; here's a selection guide:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Cat=1442171&k=connectors

If it were me, I'd start by looking up some of those connector types,
and find the smallest I could, and so on - ordinary product research.

Good Luck!
Rich
 
On Jun 23, 9:36 am, eromlignod <eromlig...@aol.com> wrote:
Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz).  I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each.  I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this?  BNC?  RCA?  Phone Plug?
Other?  I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.

Thanks for any replies.

Don
Click to expand...
Don, I don't think the type of connector you choose is going to make
much difference.
Unless it's high voltage or high current.

George H.
 
eromlignod wrote:
Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.
Click to expand...

At audio you can use the header connectors like on a computer
motherbord. Berg is the brand we used at Microdyne. If the cables
always connect to the same place yo can use a lager version and put
several or even a dozen cables per connector.


--
It's easy to think outside the box, when you have a cutting torch.
 
Rich Webb wrote:
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:36:38 -0700 (PDT), eromlignod
eromlignod@aol.com> wrote:

Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.

F connectors are relatively cheap and also easy to install, if they'll
fit your cables. Do the cables have an "RG" designation?
Click to expand...
.1" sounds like RG/174 and is too small for F connectors. It also has
a stranded center conductor.


--
It's easy to think outside the box, when you have a cutting torch.
 
On Thursday, June 23, 2011 6:36:38 AM UTC-7, eromlignod wrote:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.
Click to expand...
Is this about 100 cables into a SINGLE printed circuit board?
And each has to be separate, i.e. cable retention provisions
have to be one-at-a-time? If you want a PCB in the
ten inch size range, that means connectors will only
have 0.1" center-center spacing available.

There are rectangular connector systems that can mate dozens of
coaxial pins, with jackscrews to pull it them all together
and force 'em apart when you want to detach. Would that work for you?
 
On 2011-06-23, eromlignod <eromlignod@aol.com> wrote:
Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.
Click to expand...
RCA is probavly the cheapest option and gives acceptable performance upto
several megahertz eg: it's used in consumer video equipment.

2.5mm phone plugs could be more compact, but they tend to give worse
contact .


--
⚂⚃ 100% natural
 
I ended up replacing the cables with standard, molded RCA cables (like
for audio). I cut one in half to make two cables, solder the pigtail
end at the source and use individual grounded RCA jacks at the other
end. I makes for a rather large PC board, but not too bad. I'll let
you know how it works out.

Don
 
"eromlignod" wrote in message
news:4f7986fa-600c-47a3-af69-5eed515f16d7@k27g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

Gentlemen:

I have a number of shielded, single-center-wire, small-gauge (.100"
OD) cables that are transmitting square waves at audio frequencies
(20-5000 Hz). I need to connect them to a PCB circuit with a plug/
jack each. I need to ground the shield at the jack end and the wave
must remain crisp and noise-free.

What is the best connector to use for this? BNC? RCA? Phone Plug?
Other? I need to keep it cheap and small since there are almost 100
cables.

Thanks for any replies.

Don

Just curious.
What are you doing with the square waves.

If its data the line length and the type of medium will be more important
than the connectors.
Just curious.

Tom
 
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