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High-Frequency 5G Module Interfaces
Next-Gen Telecom Networks

High-Frequency 5G Module Interfaces

Inside an FR2 radio, the signal has to get off the board and into a connector without losing the mmWave performance the silicon just produced. These are the board-level launches and module ports for 24, 28 and 39 GHz transceiver, beamformer and filter modules.

FR2 mmWave
2.92mm
2.4mm
SMP / SSMP
PCB Launch
DC–50 GHz
Coverage
≤0.05 dB
Launch Loss
50 Ω
Impedance
Design Notes

Getting mmWave Off the Board Cleanly

At FR2 frequencies the transition between board and connector is usually the worst discontinuity in the whole chain. These are the five things that decide how much of the budget it costs you.

01
Launch Geometry
The centre pin, the pad and the ground relief have to be treated as one structure. A launch tuned for 6 GHz will ring badly at 39 GHz because the pad capacitance stops being negligible.
02
Substrate Choice
Loss tangent and dielectric constant tolerance dominate above 20 GHz. A connector cannot recover a budget the laminate has already spent.
03
Ground Continuity
Via stitching around the launch keeps the return current where the design intends. Gaps in the ground shell turn into resonances that show up as suck-outs in the sweep.
04
Density
Beamformer boards run many channels in very little space. SMP and SSMP push-on formats exist because threaded couplings simply do not fit at that pitch.
05
Repeatability
Modules are tested, reworked and re-tested. An interface whose insertion loss shifts on every re-mate makes the production data meaningless.
Reference Data

Typical Interface Requirements

Figures depend on the substrate and the launch design. These are the conditions module-level mmWave interfaces are normally held to.

ParameterTypical RequirementRelevant SeriesNote
Frequency coverageTo 40 GHz / 50 GHz2.92mm / 2.4mmChoose by band edge plus margin
Insertion loss≤ 0.05 dB at 6 GHz2.92mm, 2.4mmRises with root frequency
VSWR≤ 1.20 to 40 GHz2.92mmPer series datasheet
Mating formatPush-on, full or limited detentSMP, SSMPDetent chosen by shock environment
MountingPCB, end-launch, flangeField-replaceableRework without scrapping the board
Impedance50 Ω ±1 ΩAll precision seriesControlled through the transition
Our Role

What We Supply for Module Builds

01
Precision mmWave Launches
2.92mm and 2.4mm field-replaceable connectors whose transition is characterised, not assumed — so the budget you design to is the budget you get.
02
Density Without Compromise
SMP and SSMP push-on interfaces for multi-channel beamformer boards where a threaded coupling will not physically fit.
03
Prototype Quantities
Module development needs tens, not thousands. We supply sample quantities early so the launch can be measured before the board is committed.
Selected Products

Interfaces for FR2 Modules

Typical starting points for board-level mmWave interconnect. Send us the stack-up and the band and we will advise on the launch.

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mmWave Engineering Support

Designing an FR2 Module Launch?

Send us the substrate, the band and the channel count, and our engineers will propose the interface and the footprint.

Request Engineering Support
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