RF connector , RF Coaxial cable connector

RF Coaxial connector

COAXIAL CONNECTOR CHART

Other names (or mates with)

Female

Male

Maximum Frequency

TS,  TRS

 100 kHz or less

Ever see those old telephone switchboards with hundreds of jacks and patch cords and plugs? Those are phone jacks and plugs, also known as TS (Tip-Sleeve) for two-conductor connections, or TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) for three-conductor connections. They are now used widely with musical instruments and audio equipment. The phone plug is the male connector, a phone jack is the female connector. The standard diameter of the plug is 0.25", but many smaller sizes are available as well. These are really only suitable for audio frequencies.

Phono plugs and jacks

10 MHz

A round, press-on connector commonly used for consumer-grade audio and composite video connections.  In most recent home stereo equipment, the jacks are color-coded as follows:  red (audio-Right), black or white (audio-Left) and yellow (composite video). Generally not a constant characteristic impedance connector.

PL-259 (male), SO-239 (female)

300 MHz or less

The UHF type connector saw its conception in the early 1930's, a time when VHF/UHF technology was quite new. The forefathers of VHF were in many cases Amateur radio experimenters, most with Engineering and technical backgrounds. They began experimenting and working the VHF frontier around 1926. Soon thereafter research into FM radio and Television began and out of this era came the then named UHF connector. Manufacturers of UHF plugs and receptors all state that this type connector are of generally non-constant (characteristic) impedance and are suitable for use up to 200 or 300 MHz only, depending on production quality. They also state that the UHF connector can be used up to 500 MHz with a cautionary note of reduced performance.