Push-on microwave connectors

Updated March 4, 2008

Click here to go to our main page on microwave connectors.

Attention starving connector vendors, you can contribute and sponsor this page for short money and we'll send some serious site traffic your way!

Push-on connectors are often used out of convenience, or possibly because no threaded interlock is possible.

Blindmate - what's that?

GPO and GPPO connectors

SMB connectors new page for March 2008!

SMP connectors -new page for March 2008!

SMPM connectors -new page for March 2008!

OSX connectors - coming soon!

Blind mate - what's that?

A blind mate connector is one in which the mating action takes place where you can't see it or feel it. This means a non-threaded interlock,and usually, there is some spring action on one connector so that minor misalignments won't cause a jam. Typically blind mate RF connectors are used in test equipment racks, where equipment must slide in and make connections inside the cabinet. A good example is the old HP plug-in style sweepers, where you could change out the oscillator, without any tools.

GPO and GPPO connectors

There are two main, GPO and GPPO, both originally developed by Corning Gilbert, but other vendors such as CDI Tensolite offer compatible connectors. A GPO-style push-on connector has an inner female-to-female component, called a bullet or blindmate, and two outer panel or circuit mounted receptacles called shrouds. The whole thing lets you make connections without threads at all, so you don't need any wrenches. Push-on connectors are easier than other types of connectors to put on and take off, but you have to be careful because you don't want them coming off accidentally. The amount of force you need to connect or disconnect the push-on connectors is called "detent." You can get connectors with various levels of detent, as described in this table:

SMB push-on connectors

This is a species of push-on connector dating from the 1960's. They are much bigger than GPO, and are typically specified through 4 GHz but can work up through X-band. through X-band (12.4 GHz). Yes, we could use a picture if someone wants to contribute! From Amphenol's web site: The name "SMB" is derived from subminiature B (the second subminiature design, "SMA" was the first). These connectors are mostly relegated to the dustbin or connector history, but once in a while you might have to deal with a military program that has these designed in from way back in the Disco Days and you'll just have to cope with them.

Someone recently inquired about which connector is which.

Diggin' the Beavis & Butthead image on the connectorsex encyclopedia page,
it is stated alternative terms are "plug" for male, and "jack" for female...

I was doing part selection on the web for a female-female SMB connector, and
the vendors that I found were stating the opposite: jack=male, plug=female.

Weird, huh? I think they are wrong - the 'plug' should have the 'pins'.
The 'inny' is the jack or socket.

At least they didn't call it a jacquie...

Ruth clears up the terminology for us:

The terminology Male/Female and Jack/Plug has always caused confusion when referring to the SMB-SMC style connector types. The standard follows this rule:

Male-Female terminology refers to the center contact sex while Jack-Plug references the outer housing.

What does this mean? An SMB cable connector which has a female center contact is a Plug connector as the outer conductor has the coupling mechanism. If you follow this rule you won’t go wrong, when referring to the connectors that have a reverse contact.

Thanks Ruth!

Below are images of SMB connectors supplied by Ruth that should help to clarify the sex issue. These are Johnson connectors, a product line of our good friends at Emerson.