MHF4 cable assemblies – connecting to GNSS and 5G modules
MHF4 cable assemblies. Why do you need them? Many compact GNSS and cellular modules are using MHF4 coaxial connectors onto which to attach an antenna cable. To begin, let’s look at why MHF4 is being used by module vendors:
Very small footprint – MHF4 is significantly smaller than other connectors, making it ideal for compact PCBs and space-constrained devices.
Low profile – The connector sits pretty flush to the PCB, which is useful in thin products such as routers, laptops, gateways and tracking devices.
Good RF performance – MHF4 connectors are designed for high-frequency applications and can ably support the frequencies used by modern cellular, Wi-Fi and GNSS systems.
Lightweight – The small connector and thin coaxial cable are useful where weight matters.
Easy assembly – The cable simply snaps onto the PCB connector, making it practical for production assembly.
Widely used in wireless modules – Many 5G and GNSS modules have MHF4 miniature RF connectors.
Because the MHF4 snaps on to the mating connector, it is designed for semi-permanent connection unlike SMA, for example, which lends itself better to repeated connect and disconnect actions.
I want to connect my antenna to a MHF4 connector on a module, what options are there?
The first option is a Direct PCB-to-antenna connection – An MHF4-to-MHF4 cable can connect a PCB-mounted radio module directly to an internal antenna without needing a larger connector. The cable length in this scenario is often very short, perhaps 40 or 50mm in overall length and connectors may face the same way or one may face up and the other down.
The second option is a MHF4 to panel mount connector which is mounted through the wall of an enclosure (or device). This enables attachment of an external antenna. A common example is MHF4 to SMA-Female Panel mount connector enabling the connection of highly available SMA-Male terminated antennas and antenna cables to the module via the MHF4/SMA cable.
For a standard MHF4 to SMA-Female panel mount configuration, cable lengths of approximately 200mm are very popular. However, cable lengths can be customised to application requirements, 100mm, 150mm and 250mm are also frequent requests
It might be also worth considering if the SMA-Female panel mount connector might need an o-ring to make a watertight seal against the enclosure wall enabling a level of ingress protection standard SMA-Female panel mount connectors do not offer. Check out our M2MAC-MHF-20-SFPNOL cable for example.
The MHF4 cable assemblies can offer limited other coaxial connections included RP-SMA, FME and TNC. Please contact us for more details on this.
Need help in selecting the right MHF4 cable for your application? Talk to EAD.