Category Archives: Industry Articles

Insightful trade articles from the aerospace, medical, military, transportation, communications and the space industries.

Four recently shipped RF components from Coaxicom’s manufacturing operation in Stuart, Florida, illustrate a design reality that can be easy to overlook: selecting an RF connector involves much more than matching an interface and impedance.

The four components include an SSMA right-angle connector for flexible cable, an SSMB bulkhead cable connector, and two SMA female-to-female adapters with different mounting configurations and finishes. Each establishes a coaxial RF connection, but each addresses a different set of mechanical and electrical requirements within the larger system.

For RF engineers, those differences matter. Connector family, orientation, mounting method, cable transition, coupling mechanism, material and finish can influence how an RF path is routed, installed, accessed and maintained. The connector may occupy only a small amount of physical space, but it remains part of the signal path and the mechanical architecture surrounding it.

The RF Connector Is Part of the System Architecture

SMA, SSMA and SSMB are 50-ohm coaxial RF connector families, but they are not interchangeable.

SMA is a widely used threaded microwave interface. SSMA carries the same basic threaded-interface concept into a smaller physical package. SSMB takes a different mechanical approach, using a push-on coupling system in a microminiature footprint.

Those distinctions become important when an engineer moves from a block diagram to physical hardware. Where will the cable run? How much clearance exists behind the connector? Does the RF path have to cross a panel or enclosure wall? Does the connection need a fixed mounting point? How will technicians or assemblers access the interface?

Electrical requirements remain fundamental, including impedance, frequency range, insertion loss and return loss. But a connector that meets an electrical requirement still has to meet the system specifications.

These four Coaxicom components show how those decisions become physical hardware.

7090C-5-9: Right-Angle SSMA for Space-Constrained Cable Routing

The 7090C-5-9 is an SSMA right-angle connector designed for flexible cable.

Its defining characteristic is the 90-degree change in orientation between the mating interface and cable exit. That geometry can be useful when the RF port and the available cable-routing path do not line up in a straight axis.

A straight connector requires space behind the interface for both the connector body and the cable. Flexible coax also has a minimum practical bend radius. Forcing that cable through an unnecessarily tight bend immediately behind a straight connector can create mechanical stress and complicate packaging. A right-angle connector changes the cable exit direction at the interface itself, allowing the designer to route the coax along the available geometry.

That can matter inside compact RF modules, densely packaged electronics and enclosures where rear clearance is limited. Right-angle connector selection can involve available space, cable direction, interface, frequency, impedance and mechanical requirements.

The SSMA interface adds another consideration: size. SSMA is a miniaturized threaded RF interface, approximately 30% smaller than standard SMA. Its threaded coupling provides a mechanically secured connection while reducing the connector footprint.

The engineering decision, then, is not simply “SSMA or SMA.” It may be: How do I establish the required RF interface and route flexible coax through a constrained package without asking the cable to solve the entire geometry problem?

6M224-32-1: Bringing an SSMB Cable Connection Through a Bulkhead

The 6M224-32-1 addresses a different integration problem. It is an SSMB bulkhead straight male cable jack.

Here, two characteristics deserve attention: bulkhead mounting and push-on mating

A bulkhead configuration allows the RF interface to be mechanically located at a panel or enclosure boundary while the cable continues on the opposite side. Instead of leaving the connector position dependent on the cable, the mounting hardware establishes where the interface resides.

That can create a defined transition between different physical areas of a system, for example, between internal cabling and an accessible connection point, without implying any particular end use for this specific shipped component.

SSMB also changes how the mating connection is made. Unlike threaded SMA and SSMA interfaces, SSMB uses a push-on coupling mechanism.

That distinction can influence assembly and access. A threaded connector requires rotational engagement and appropriate mating torque. A push-on interface changes that mechanical interaction, which may be useful where rapid mating or restricted access affects the system design.

The important point is not that one coupling method is universally preferable. It is that coupling style itself is an engineering variable. Frequency, retention, vibration, accessibility, mating cycles and system requirements all need to be evaluated for the specific application.

3145-A-1: Fixing an SMA Interface With a Four-Hole Flange

The 3145-A-1 is an SMA female-to-female four-hole flange adapter with a gold-plated finish.

Unlike the cable connector examples, this component creates a female SMA interface on each side while providing a four-hole flange for mechanical attachment.

The flange is significant because it gives the engineer a defined mounting structure. Four attachment points can secure the adapter to the surrounding mechanical assembly and establish the RF interfaces at a controlled location. In systems where the connector must become part of a panel, housing or structural assembly, the mounting arrangement can be as important as the connector gender.

The female-to-female configuration serves another straightforward purpose: maintaining an SMA connection between two mating male interfaces without changing connector family.

The -1 suffix denotes the gold-plated configuration for this Coaxicom part. Plating should not be treated as cosmetic. Connector materials and finishes are selected with electrical conductivity, corrosion behavior, mechanical durability and the surrounding operating environment in mind. Coaxicom works with connector materials including brass, beryllium copper, stainless steel and aluminum, with gold, nickel and silver among its supported finishes.

The exact material and plating system still needs to match the requirements of the individual component and application. The larger lesson is that connector selection does not stop at “SMA female.” Mounting and material construction belong in the specification.

3209A-9: An SMA Bulkhead Transition in Passivated Stainless Steel

The 3209A-9 provides a useful comparison with the 3145-A-1 because both are SMA female-to-female adapters, yet they solve the mechanical installation differently.

The 3209A-9 is a straight female-to-female bulkhead adapter with a passivated stainless steel configuration. The -9 suffix corresponds to Coaxicom’s passivated stainless finish convention.

Instead of a four-hole flange, the bulkhead arrangement allows the adapter to pass through and mount at a panel opening. The two components therefore demonstrate why interface family and gender alone do not fully define a connector requirement.

An engineer could specify “SMA female-to-female” and still have unanswered questions.

How is it mounted? What panel geometry must it accommodate? What material is required? How much space is available around the interface? How will the mating connectors be accessed?

The 3145-A-1 and 3209A-9 make those questions visible. Both provide an SMA female-to-female transition. Their mechanical architectures are different because the installation requirements they are capable of addressing are different.

How Do Engineers Choose an RF Connector Configuration?

A useful RF connector specification starts with the electrical requirement but continues into the physical system.

Engineers typically need to consider the interface family and impedance; required frequency performance; cable type; straight or right-angle orientation; panel, bulkhead or flange mounting; connector gender; mating mechanism; materials and finish; environmental requirements; available packaging space; and installation or maintenance access.

Those decisions interact.

A smaller connector can help packaging density but changes the mechanical interface. A right-angle cable exit can improve routing but introduces a different transition geometry. A bulkhead adapter establishes a panel interface. A flange provides another method of mechanically fixing that interface. A push-on connector changes mating behavior compared with a threaded connection.

The correct choice comes from the system requirement, not from selecting a familiar part number first.

When the Catalog Part Is Not the Whole Answer

That system-level view also explains why RF connector manufacturing sometimes extends beyond standard catalog selection.

Coaxicom manufactures RF connectors, adapters, cable assemblies and precision connector components in Stuart, Florida. Its capabilities include CNC Swiss machining for small, high-tolerance RF components, specialized cable preparation and assembly processes, and in-house Vector Network Analyzer testing used to evaluate characteristics including insertion loss, return loss and frequency response.

The manufacturing environment supports prototype quantities, smaller production runs and scalable production, allowing engineering and procurement teams to work through configuration questions that can involve interface geometry, cable termination, materials, mounting and manufacturability.

The four components examined here are different in visible ways: SSMA, SSMB and SMA; right angle and straight; cable, bulkhead and flange; gold plated and passivated stainless steel.

What connects them is more important.

Each represents an engineering decision about where and how the RF signal path connects to the physical system around it.

For engineers and procurement teams evaluating an RF interconnect requirement, that is the place to begin. Talk with Coaxicom about the electrical, mechanical and manufacturing requirements behind the connection at Coaxicom.com.

A connector small enough to sit in the palm of a hand can force a proven system back onto the engineering bench.

The original RF component has been discontinued. The remaining catalogs do not offer a true drop-in replacement. Mechanical dimensions, electrical performance, materials or plating may no longer match. What begins as a sourcing problem can quickly become a redesign and requalification problem.

For engineers supporting long-life systems, this is becoming harder to avoid. Consolidation is closing independent suppliers, while specialized and lower-volume product lines continue to disappear.

Consolidation Has Reshaped the RF Connector Industry

The scale of consolidation is difficult to ignore. The Department of Defense estimates that hundreds of defense companies undergo mergers and acquisitions each year. In the broader interconnect market, one recent transaction alone was valued at approximately $10.5 billion.

Every acquisition makes the market look larger on paper while leaving engineers with fewer places to turn when a specialized connector is discontinued. The logos may change, but the practical result is often fewer people who understand the product, fewer manufacturing options and longer paths to a technical answer.

Large manufacturing conglomerates naturally direct resources toward product families with stronger volume and return. Mature RF connectors produced in modest quantities are more likely to lose support, especially when overseas competition compresses pricing.

The customer experience changes with the product strategy. Engineers with an urgent requirement may be routed through layers of sales, distribution and internal approvals. Short production runs, legacy components and immediate needs are difficult to prioritize inside organizations built around scale.

The product line disappears because it no longer fits the business priorities of its owner. The customer is left in a queue designed for standard demand, even when the technical consequences are significant.

DMSMS Identifies Component Obsolescence as a Readiness Risk

The defense industry already has a name for this problem: Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages, or DMSMS.

DMSMS occurs when a manufacturer, supplier or production source disappears while the system that depends on it remains in service. In the RF connector industry, consolidation and product-line rationalization are increasing that risk. A qualified component can remain operationally essential long after its original manufacturer decides it is no longer commercially attractive.

“When an RF product line disappears, the impact extends beyond procurement,” said Julian Andrews, Director of Operations and Manufacturing at Coaxial Components Corp. “Engineers may face redesign, testing and requalification for a component that was already proven in the system. Responsive U.S. manufacturers can help preserve options by working from an existing part, drawing or performance requirement to develop a compatible path forward.”

Replacing an obsolete RF connector may require engineers to verify electrical performance, mechanical fit, materials and compatibility with the existing assembly. Even a technically suitable alternative can trigger testing, documentation changes, customer approval and requalification.

That burden can far exceed the cost of the component itself. One unavailable connector can delay production, maintenance, repair or replenishment across a much larger program.

DMSMS establishes component obsolescence as a lifecycle and readiness challenge. Programs that wait until the last qualified part is gone may be forced into redesign under schedule pressure, with fewer manufacturing options and less time to qualify a dependable replacement.

The Pressure on Domestic Supply Is Increasing

The sourcing problem is becoming more urgent as the United States pushes to strengthen defense production and reduce supply-chain exposure.

Executive Order 14415, signed July 20, 2026, calls for stronger protection of critical defense supply chains and greater qualification of domestic and allied sources for covered materials and components.

The order does not require every RF component to be manufactured in the United States. It does signal a clear direction: programs should identify dependable sources before a disruption becomes an emergency.

That pressure is rising while defense programs are being asked to increase production, sustain existing systems and replenish inventories. Every obsolete part that triggers redesign and requalification consumes engineering time and delays output.

The Government Accountability Office has also reported limited Department of Defense visibility into lower-tier suppliers and the origins of many materials and components. That uncertainty increases the value of qualified domestic manufacturers that can provide clearer sourcing and direct technical support.

Finding a Replacement Often Starts Outside the Digital Catalog

When a legacy RF component becomes obsolete, the search rarely begins with a clean, current part number.

The original manufacturer may no longer exist. The product line may have changed ownership several times. A part number shown in an older catalog, drawing or purchase record may not correspond to the numbering system used by the company that now controls the product family. In some cases, the engineer may have only a physical sample, an incomplete specification or documentation created decades earlier.

That makes modern digital inventory systems less useful. Most are designed to locate active products through a recognized manufacturer, current part number or standardized description. When those references no longer align, the system may return no result even though the component was once widely used.

Engineers may need to return to a printed catalog, archived drawing or previous order record to recover the connector interface, dimensions, materials and electrical requirements. The objective is often larger than identifying the historical part number. It is reconstructing enough of the original specification to create a dependable replacement path.

That is where independent domestic manufacturers continue to fill an important role. Companies like Coaxicom are structured to evaluate legacy requirements that fall outside high-volume manufacturing priorities. “Very few legacy requests arrive with perfect documentation,” Andrews said. “Our job is to determine what characteristics actually matter to system performance, separate those from what’s incidental, and then evaluate whether we can manufacture a compatible domestic solution.”

The advantage is direct access to people who can interpret incomplete information, understand how the component functions within the larger system and make engineering and manufacturing decisions without navigating layers of approvals designed for high-volume production. For engineers whose search has reached a dead end, Coaxicom helps shift the conversation from simply asking whether an obsolete part still exists to determining which performance characteristics must be preserved to develop a practical, qualified domestic replacement.

Coaxicom Helps Rebuild the Missing Supply Option

Since 1963, Coaxial Components Corp., operating under the Coaxicom brand, has specialized in manufacturing RF components in the United States. From its operation in Stuart, Florida, Coaxicom produces RF connectors, adapters, attenuators, terminations, cable assemblies and precision connector components. Engineers aren’t simply looking for another supplier. They’re looking for someone willing to understand the application, recover the original intent of the design and determine whether a qualified domestic replacement is achievable.

That structure allows Coaxicom to respond to requirements that may fall outside the priorities of large catalog-driven suppliers. Customers can speak with people close to the engineering and manufacturing process, explain the urgency and begin evaluating a solution without waiting for the requirement to rise through a volume-based queue.

Coaxicom supports prototype development, short production runs, specialized materials and legacy-compatible components. More importantly, its engineering and manufacturing teams evaluate each request in the context of the application, helping customers determine whether a practical domestic replacement path exists.

For engineers facing an obsolete part, the process can begin with whatever information is available. A sample, drawing, datasheet, part number or performance requirement may be enough to begin the review.

Act Before the Last Qualified Part Is Gone

Component obsolescence rarely announces itself with plenty of time to react. By the time a connector disappears from the approved supply chain, engineering schedules often become the most expensive part of the problem. Evaluating replacement paths before inventory is exhausted gives programs more options—and more control over the outcome.

Engineers and procurement teams should identify single-source parts, aging product families and components tied to manufacturers that have reduced support or changed ownership. Early action creates time to evaluate samples, recover requirements, build prototypes and complete qualification without placing an active program under immediate pressure.

When an original RF component is no longer available, contact Coaxicom with the part number, sample, drawing, datasheet or performance requirements. Visit Coaxicom.com or call 866-COAXICOM (866-262-9426) to speak directly with Julian Andrews or Managing Director John Haas about the application and whether a domestic replacement path is possible.

Defense contractors have less time than the calendar suggests.

The July 20, 2026 Executive Order on securing America’s defense supply chains directs the Department of Defense to tighten oversight of critical materials, improve visibility across supplier tiers, and accelerate qualification of domestic and allied alternatives.

A key milestone arrives January 1, 2027, when certain nonavailability waivers under 10 U.S.C. § 4872 will require an accepted mitigation plan. For procurement teams, the remaining months of 2026 are already a working deadline.

Source investigations, drawing reviews, samples, first-article inspections, validation testing, customer approvals, and production ramp-up rarely happen overnight. Programs that wait for final contract language may find themselves solving a sourcing problem after schedule risk has already surfaced.

That is where Coaxicom enters the picture.

From its manufacturing operations in Stuart, Florida, Coaxicom produces RF connectors, adapters, attenuators, and terminations under an AS9100-certified quality management system. With more than 20,000 designs, domestic machining, assembly and test capabilities, ITAR registration, JCP approval, and direct engineering access, the company can help customers move from an exposed or difficult-to-document part number toward a controlled U.S. manufacturing option.

“The first step is to identify RF components with foreign, opaque, or difficult-to-document sourcing before they become a program risk,” said John Haas, Managing Director at Coaxicom. “Coaxicom can help customers cross-reference those parts, evaluate existing designs, and build a practical path toward a qualified U.S. alternative.”

That path depends on more than locating a substitute in a catalog. Procurement and engineering teams need to understand the incumbent configuration, verify performance requirements, assess origin evidence, and establish a realistic qualification plan before schedule pressure narrows their options.

What the Executive Order Changes for Defense Suppliers

The order’s immediate legal focus is the waiver structure surrounding 10 U.S.C. § 4872. That statute restricts the acquisition of specified sensitive materials from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, subject to defined exceptions and waiver provisions.

The covered categories include samarium-cobalt magnets, neodymium-iron-boron magnets, tungsten metal powder, tungsten heavy alloy and certain components containing it, tantalum metals and alloys, and molybdenum.

The broader policy direction reaches beyond those six categories. Federal acquisition officials are being instructed to seek deeper supply-chain mapping, stronger supplier vetting, clearer origin evidence, and faster removal of unacceptable dependencies.

The order also calls for visibility through multiple supplier levels. Prime contractors may need information that traces critical components and materials back through subcontractors, manufacturers, processors, and raw-material sources.

That does not mean every foreign input is prohibited. It does not require every component to be made exclusively from U.S.-origin material. Waivers and statutory exceptions remain part of the framework.

The commercial effect is still significant. Prime contractors must be able to defend sourcing decisions, support mitigation plans, and show that unresolved exposure is being addressed. Those responsibilities will push new questions through subsystem manufacturers, cable houses, distributors, component producers, and other lower-tier suppliers.

Why RF Components Will Face More Scrutiny

Many common connector materials do not automatically fall within the covered-material definition of § 4872. Stainless steel, brass, copper alloys, beryllium copper, PTFE, and standard plating inputs require analysis under the clauses, drawings, and specifications that apply to the individual contract.

Certain RF products may involve tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, magnetic materials, resistive elements, purchased subassemblies, or other inputs that deserve closer examination. The correct unit of analysis is the part number and its complete bill of material.

Customers may ask who manufactured a critical input, where the relevant material was produced or processed, whether a covered nation appears anywhere in the chain, and which certificate or lot-linked record supports the answer. They may also want advance notice before a supplier, material, process, or manufacturing location changes.

For RF interconnects, those questions quickly move from purchasing into engineering. A replacement may need to preserve frequency, impedance, VSWR, insertion loss, power handling, finish, mounting method, environmental performance, envelope dimensions, and mating characteristics. A catalog comparison alone may not be enough.

Where Coaxicom Creates Immediate Value

Coaxicom’s advantage is the combination of American manufacturing control, a broad design library, and direct engineering involvement.

Its portfolio includes more than 20,000 connector, adapter, attenuator, and termination designs. That depth gives customers a strong starting point when an incumbent component becomes difficult to document, restricted, obsolete, or vulnerable to interruption.

An existing configuration may already satisfy the requirement. A related design may need a change in material, finish, geometry, mounting arrangement, or environmental feature. A custom solution can also be developed around the customer’s drawing and program constraints.

Coaxicom’s AS9100-certified quality system supports configuration management, supplier controls, traceability, nonconformance handling, risk management, and disciplined change control. ITAR registration supports regulated defense-trade activity. JCP approval supports access to certain controlled technical data.

Each credential has a defined purpose. None independently proves domestic content or clause-specific compliance. The stronger proposition is the way those qualifications work with machining, assembly, inspection, testing, engineering access, and part-specific documentation.

From an At-Risk Part Number to a Qualified Alternative

The most useful response to the Executive Order is a repeatable qualification process. A contractor can begin by identifying RF components that rely on Chinese, covered-country, opaque, sole-source, obsolete, or poorly documented supply channels. Priority should go to parts with long lead times, limited inventory, high program consequence, or difficult requalification requirements.

Coaxicom can then review the incumbent manufacturer number, drawing, interface, frequency range, materials, finish, environmental conditions, annual demand, and required approvals.

That review may lead to a direct cross-reference from an existing design, a form-fit-function alternative with documented differences, a modified configuration based on a proven product family, or a custom replacement for a restricted or discontinued source. Samples, test data, first article, customer approvals, and production milestones can then be organized into a practical transition plan.

“A domestic-source strategy has to be supported by evidence, engineering, and production discipline,” said Julian Andrews, Director of Operations & Manufacturing at Coaxicom. “Coaxicom’s role is to help customers move from an at-risk part number to a controlled configuration, qualification plan, and dependable manufacturing source.”

Early engagement also gives operations teams time to evaluate tooling, raw-material availability, inspection needs, forecast volume, and surge expectations before committing to delivery.

Evidence Matters More Than a Flag on the Catalog

The Executive Order creates a clear opportunity for American manufacturers. It also raises the standard for every sourcing claim. Statements such as “100% U.S. content,” “DFARS compliant,” “Buy American compliant,” or “§ 4872 compliant” should never be applied broadly without a defined product, configuration, clause, and evidence basis.

A component can be machined, assembled, and tested in Florida while containing an imported input. An overseas source may also be permissible when it comes from an allied or qualifying country and satisfies the applicable acquisition rule. Every representation must match the facts of the specific item and transaction.

For designated products, a useful supply-chain assurance package may include manufacturing location, a scoped bill of material, origin documentation, covered-material status, supplier evidence, configuration controls, test capability, capacity information, approved alternates, and authorized certification.

That record can reduce the time customers spend gathering disconnected files across procurement, quality, contracts, and engineering. It also creates a stronger foundation for audits, source approvals, mitigation plans, and future change notifications.

Start Before 2027 Sourcing Plans Are Locked

The January 1, 2027 waiver milestone will attract attention. For many programs, the more important date is the day qualification work must begin. Waiting compresses every downstream step: supplier review, technical evaluation, prototype production, laboratory testing, first article, customer acceptance, inventory planning, and contract transition.

Beginning now creates room to compare options, resolve evidence gaps, secure capacity, and avoid an emergency redesign. Defense primes, subcontractors, cable-assembly companies, subsystem manufacturers, distributors, and program suppliers should identify RF components with foreign, unknown, or difficult-to-verify sourcing and rank them by mission impact and replacement difficulty.

Coaxicom can review incumbent part numbers, drawings, specifications, annual usage, qualification requirements, and requested evidence to determine whether an existing design, modified configuration, or new U.S.-manufactured solution offers the strongest path forward.

Contact the Coaxicom sales team to begin a cross-reference and qualification-readiness discussion covering documentation, samples, testing, production capacity, and transition timing.

According to Everything RF’s June 5th news release, The US Navy, in partnership with leading defense company, Northrop Grumman, has started flight testing of the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter equipped with the Leonardo AN/ZPY-8 radar. The radar significantly increases Fire Scout’s detection and tracking of targets. The ability to simultaneously employ multiple modes supports U.S. Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements. This increased capability enables Fire Scout to extend ranges to meet emerging requirements.

The MQ-8C Fire Scout is the Navy’s next-generation autonomous helicopter. Combined with the maturity of Northrop Grumman’s autonomous systems architecture, Fire Scout meets customer requirements for ship-based and land-based autonomous systems. It also has the ability to autonomously take off and land on any aviation-capable ship and from prepared and unprepared landing zones. This enhancement significantly increases range and endurance (more than double) and payload capacity (more than triple).

Operating out of Webster Outlying Field, the MQ-8C’s first flight with the radar was on Feb. 27. Testing began with several weeks of ground testing prior to the first flight and continues to progress as the Navy and Northrop Grumman consider mission expansion opportunities for the platform. To date, Northrop Grumman has delivered 32 of 38 MQ-8Cs to the Navy, all of which will be retrofit with the AN/ZPY-8 radar. The MQ-8C achieved initial operational capability in June 2019 and is scheduled for its first deployment in 2021.

Northrop Grumman is working hard to solve the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of its customers worldwide. Coaxial Components Corp is a trusted supplier for the leading defense industry firm, providing resources for RF connectors, adapters, terminations, attenuators, and coaxial cable assemblies. The company’s Coaxicom precision product lines have been developed in the company’s Florida manufacturing facility since 1983. For more information visit Coaxicom.com.