A super-fine coaxial cable bundle is a type of ultra-thin coaxial cable structure with a diameter typically ranging from 0.2mm to 0.5mm, widely used inside miniaturized electronic products such as laptops, tablets, camera modules, smartphones, and 5G communication devices. Since such cable bundles often need to be repeatedly bent and turned inside the equipment, or even remain in a dynamic motion state for a long time, the bending life (flex life) has become one of the important indicators for measuring their quality and reliability.
What is the bending life?
The bending life refers to the number of times a harness can be bent repeatedly under specified conditions of bending radius, frequency, and angle, without breaking cores, wires, or experiencing abnormal performance.
Common test conditions are as follows:
Bend radius: 5mm; bend angle: ±90°; speed: 60 times/minute.
•Judging criteria: Signal continuity, no open circuit, stable insertion and removal force.
• Qualification standard: Determined according to specific application scenarios and wire requirements.
The bending life performance of micro coaxial cable harness
Under the same test standards (φ5mm bending radius, ±90° angle, 60 times/minute speed), the bending resistance of micro coaxial cable assemblies with different qualities shows significant differences and can be roughly divided into the following three categories:
Conventional harness
Can withstand about 3,000 to 5,000 bends, meeting the internal usage requirements of ordinary equipment.
High flexibility harness
By optimizing the conductor braiding structure, improving the flexibility of the insulation layer, and enhancing the weaving density of the shielding layer, it can achieve about 8000 to 12000 bends.
Super high-end harness
Using multi-strand ultra-fine copper wire (such as 46AWG), FEP high-performance insulation material, and high-density braided + ribbon structure, it is usually used in high-end scenarios such as medical equipment, industrial automation, drones, and 5G high-speed modules. The actual test shows that it can withstand up to 15,000 or even more bends.
Three, key factors affecting the bending life
Conductor material and structure
Multi-strand braided ultra-fine copper wire (40AWG~46AWG) has high flexibility and can effectively improve the bending resistance performance.
Insulation material selection
Using FEP, ETFE and other high-flexible insulation layers can significantly reduce the concentration of bending stress.
屏蔽层设计
High-density woven structure can effectively protect the core and reduce the risk of breakage.
Connector and welding technology
The contact point is the most vulnerable part, requiring the use of high-quality connectors (such as I-PEX 20438-030T-01) and precision welding techniques to enhance the overall bending resistance.
Four, the performance of the I-PEX 20438-030T-01 connector
In the micro coaxial cable system, the connector is the core factor determining the signal stability and mechanical life.
I-PEX 20438-030T-01 is indeed a high-performance ultra-small high-speed connector specifically designed for 0.5mm pitch micro coax cable assemblies.
Product Features:
0.5mm ultra-fine spacing design, extreme space saving;
Supports high-speed differential signal transmission, up to 8Gbps.
Double lock structure, ensuring firm and reliable connection.
Optimize the terminal structure, reduce signal interference and loss.
Flexural test performance:
The micro coax cable assembly with I-PEX 20438-030T-01 performs without any abnormality after 5000 cycles at a bending radius of φ5mm, and maintains stable performance after 8000 cycles, demonstrating excellent reliability.
As devices continue to develop towards thinness and high speed, micro coax cable assemblies have become an important trend in internal wiring. Their performance and durability directly determine the stability and lifespan of the entire machine. Choosing high-quality cables and connectors, such as the I-PEX 20438-030T-01 paired with a high-flexible micro coax solution, not only makes the product thinner, faster, and more reliable but also enables it to stand out in the high-end market competition.
We have long been focused on the design and customization of high-speed signal cable harnesses and ultra-fine coaxial cable harnesses, committed to providing customers with stable and reliable high-speed interconnect solutions. If you have any related needs or would like to learn more, please contact: Manager Yin.
18913280527（WeChat number）。
