TK connectors

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New for June 2023.  The TK connector is kind of an oddball dating back to at least the 1970s.  It is a 50-ohm interface and works to 18 GHz and possibly higher. It has PTFE dielectric that splits across the male-female interface, as shown below.  There is also a compressible O-ring gasket that should help protect the interface from liquids seeping in. It is fully qualified for military applications and the interface is covered by MIL-STD-348, look for Figure 329-1 (which we shamelessly cribbed for this page).  The TK hex nut is 9/16 and it requires 12-15 inch-lb. of torque, 50% greater than SMA connectors (5/16 nut, 8-12 inch-lb.) Pro-tip: if you don't torque a TK connector properly you can expect a frequency suck-out around X-band!

Here's a photo of female and male TK connectors.

Below is a photo of a TK-female to SMA-female adapter.

And here is a TK-male to SMA female adapter.

Where else but Microwaves101 will you find photos of TK connectors?  Answer: nowhere. Try doing a Google search.

Author : Unknown Editor