A
Caring for Connectors
78
Keysight N4000/1/2A Operating and Service Manual
Adapters
Adapters are used to connect a device with one connector interface to a device or
to test equipment that has another interface, or to reduce wear on connectors
that may be difficult or expensive to replace. Reducing wear is possibly the most
important use of adapters, especially when devices that have SMA connectors are
being used.
SMA connectors are low-cost connectors generally used up to about 23 GHz.
They are not precision mechanical devices and are not designed for repeated
connections and disconnections as they wear out quickly and are very often
found, upon assembly, to be out of specification, even before they have been
used. This makes them potentially destructive to any precision 3.5 mm connectors
with which they might be mated.
In most applications two adapters will be required, one each at the input and the
output of the device. Male-female adapters cause no change in the sex of the
interface. The same interface is presented when the adapter is in place as is
presented in the original setup.
Same-sex adapters (male-male, female-female) change the sex of the interface.
For example, if the original interface presents a male connector, attaching a
female-female adapter will result in a female interface to which devices or cables
that have male SMA (or male precision 3.5 mm) connectors can be connected.
Adapters are included in many Keysight calibration kits and with many Keysight
devices, or they may be ordered separately.
CAUTION
Worn, damaged, or out-of-specification SMA connectors can destroy a
precision 3.5 mm connector even on the very first connection. For this reason
it is recommended that you use high-quality precision adapters, sometimes
called “connector savers”, whenever more than a few connections are to be
made between SMA and precision 3.5 mm connectors.
