What are F-type connector? F-type connector is a coaxial RF connector commonly used for “over the air” terrestrial television, cable television and universally for satellite television and cable modems, usually with RG-59/U cable or RG-6/U cable.
The threaded F-Type connector is an alternative to the G-Type connector’s slide-on design. For more information on F-type connector, continue reading.
Table of Contents
F Connector Basics
For many applications related to domestic TV, the F type connector, which is a cheap connector, offers the necessary performance. The connector has both male and female connections, uses a threaded outer to create trustworthy contacts, and offers a good 75Ω match for signals that go well beyond 1 GHz.
A 3⁄8 in-32 unified extra fine (UNEF) thread serves as the connector’s thread. The female connector has a barrel on the inside that contains the spacing dielectric and a receptacle for the center conductor. On the outside is a thread.
The male has a captive nut with a thread on the inside and a center pin, which is typically the coax’s center conductor. The connectors are set up so that the two halves’ dielectric surfaces are in contact, which results in a nearly constant impedance across the connectors. In this way, the male F connector is made up of just a body—which is typically crimped onto or screwed over the cable shielding braid—and a captive nut. Since they don’t need precise tolerances, costs can be kept under control. There are also push-on variations.
Read More:
F Connector Development
In the 1950s, Eric E. Winston of Jerrold Electronics—a company that was creating equipment for the domestic TV cable market—developed the F connector in the United States.
In the USA, the connector was widely used for VHF and then UHF television. In domestic TV settings, it performed admirably and was reasonably priced.
The connector has become more widely used due to the globalization of TV equipment and the widespread adoption of satellite TV, first for satellite TV cables and then for terrestrial TV cables.
Due to its growing use, it has been standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission under its standard IEC 60169 for radio frequency connectors.
Features and Benefits
- Cylindrical coaxial contact provides superior RF performance and excellent insertion/withdrawal characteristics
- Multiple PCB mount packages: surface mount, edge mount, right angle and straight, meets many customer application needs
- accepts.022-.042 inches. diameter conductor sizes
- One connector accommodates a wide range of cable sizes, reducing part numbers
Applications of F-type Connector
- Head End Equipment
- Set Top Boxes
- CATV
- High-Speed Cable Modems
- CIMs
- Hybrid Fiber Coax Networks
How to Install F Connectors on Coaxial Cable?
Below is a step-by-step guideline.
1. Strip the Wire
Using a utility knife, first remove 3/4 inch of the coaxial cable’s outer black or white jacket.
All the way around the cable, carefully make a shallow cut that only goes through the outer jacket. Peel the jacket from the cable using your fingernails. This reveals the thin layer of shielding foil and wires made of metal just beneath the jacket.
2. Trim the Shielding Foil
With wire strippers or scissors, cut the shielding wires to a length of about 1/8 inch and fold them back onto the cable jacket. Now, cut through the metal shielding foil with the utility knife so that only a quarter-inch of it remains after the cable jacket has been cut.
3. Trim the Plastic Layer
Using wire strippers or a utility knife, trim off 1/4 inch of the white plastic insulating layer that surrounds the cable’s copper wire core. The performance of the cable may be impacted if the copper wire itself is cut or nicked. From the tip of the white plastic layer, a 1/4 inch length of bare copper wire should now protrude.
4. Install the Connector
This stage depends on which type of connector you are using:
Crimp-type F connector: The F connector’s crimp ring should be placed over the cable end and lowered over the shielding wires and outer jacket. Slide it until the white plastic layer touches the connector’s hole. Inside the F connector’s end, there should be about 1/4 inch of copper wire visible. proceed to the next action.
Twist-on F connector: The copper wire should extend about 1/16 inch beyond the front end of the F connector when the F connector is fitted onto the end of the cable and rotated clockwise until the white plastic layer made contact with the connector’s hole. Your work is done in relation to twist-on connectors.
5. Complete a Crimp-Type Installation (If Necessary)
To secure an F connector to a cable using a crimp-type F connector, position the jaws of a crimping tool over the connector’s crimp ring and squeeze the tool handles. You are now finished.
You May Also Like: What Is A Pigtail Connector?
FAQs
What is An F Connector?
Coaxial cables can be connected to electronic devices or wall jacks using an F connector, which is a fitting. It has threads that make it possible to screw the cable onto a TV, a cable wall outlet, or other electronics.
What Two Types of F Connectors Are There?
Alternatively called a threaded connector, the F connector. There are two main types: 7 mm (6.8mm) is the most common and most used in coaxial cables, and connector 5mm that it is used in a thin coaxial cable typically used in satellite systems. Even so, there are F connectors in other diameters.
Are F Type Connectors Better?
The F type connector provides some significant improvements over the Belling Lee connectors (IEC 61169 part 2) that are widely used in Europe. These connectors were created around 1922, so it stands to reason that they do not perform as well as UHF TV.
