Antennas, Antenna Cables, Wireless Products: Technical Articles

LMR-100 Coax for Antenna Cables: Shielding & Structure

George Hardesty
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LMR-100 Coaxial Cable Specifications

LMR-100 is a low loss, double-shielded coaxial cable type that is Data Alliance's standard for short versions of antenna cables with all of the following connector types: RP-SMA, SMA, N-type connector, RP-TNC, MMCX, 50 Ohm BNC connectors, and FME.


LMR100 Structure Diagram showing double shielding for low signal loss

 LMR 100's range of frequency band compatibility (from 0 to 18GHz) and 50 Ohms impedance matching, makes it suitable and compliant for all the following applications: 

LMR-100 shares similarities to LMR-200 and LMR-400 coax cable types:

  1. Copper clad-steel conductor - the industry standard carrier of that important RF signal.
  2. DielectricPE foam - an highly effective dampener of any signal seepage throughout the cable.
  3. Double shielded - aluminum sheet plus copper braiding equals a well contained conveyor of charge.
  4. Outer Jacket - strong, sturdy, robust and ready for almost any environment.

LMR-100 & LMR-200 comparison of attenuation (signal loss).

Composition of the LMR-100 coaxial cable:

  • Inner conductor: 0.46 mm (0.02 in) in diameter
  • Dielectric foam diameter & material: 1.52 mm (0.01 in), Polyethylene foam
  • Inner shield: Aluminum tape.
  • Outer shield: Copper braiding
  • Outer cable sheath diameter, material & color: 2.79 mm (0.1 in) in diameter, Polyvinyl chloride, black.

Other Specifications:

Temperature stability = materially stable and functional up to 85-degrees C / and uninhibited by temperatures as low as -40-degrees C. A good multipurpose player in the coax stakes.

Bending radius = if you bend this cable you can expect a bending radius of 25.4 mm (0.25 in).

Weight = in case you were looking to meticulously plan the practicalities of using LMR-100 on your next project, take a note of the average weight: 0.02 kg/m (0.013 lbs/ft.).

Observing safety standards the LMR-100 was made halogen-free, so will not liberate toxins in case of fire.

Attenuation

LMR-100 has low attenuation (low signal loss) for a coax of it's narrow diameter, retaining consistent signal over length.  Attenuation in various frequency bands:

  • At 900 MHz: LMR-100 = 0.75 dB/m. (0.228 dB/ft.)
  • At 2400 MHz: LMR-100 = 1.28 dB/m. (0.389 dB/ft.)
  • At 3500 MHz: LMR-100 = 1.58 dB/m. (0.48 dB/ft.)
  • At 5800 MHz: LMR-100 = 2.10 dB/m. (0.641 dB/ft.)

Double shielding benefits

  • In environments where you have significant amounts of EMI, the double shielding nature of the LMR-100 makes it a winner.
  • The combination of a aluminum layer and copper braiding makes it effective even amidst other high load equipment.




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