In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, Fairview Microwave will be closed on Friday, July 3rd. Normal operations will resume on Monday, July 6. 500 Internal Server Error Oops, something went wrong. # Internal server error, refresh the page or contact us if the problem persists. Oops, something went wrong. # Internal server error, refresh the page or contact us if the problem persists. Signing Out Cancel Continue as Guest by Peter McNeil | Feb 02, 2026 Share now The Argument for the 90 Degree Coax Adapter It is often necessary when connecting diverse systems and components to use a 90 degree coax adapter to mate between connections with differing coaxial connector standards. Like with all RF coaxial applications, RF coaxial adapters including a 90 degree coax adapter can be instrumental from the field and production to the laboratory. Key Takeaways A 90° coax connector adapter is often chosen where physical space or routing constraints demand a right-angle connection rather than a straight one Mechanical advantages include more compact installation, reduced cable-bend stress, improved fit in tight panels, or chassis. However, using a right-angle adapter may influence RF characteristics (additional connector transitions, possible slight increase in VSWR or insertion loss) and must be evaluated in high-performance systems. The decision to use a 90° adapter should weigh both mechanical/space benefits and the RF system's performance requirements. Proper selection, installation, and specification review (frequency limits, connector type, power rating, VSWR) ensure the adapter delivers its intended benefit without compromising signal integrity. These versatile adapters can be used with coax cable assemblies with similar of different connector ends that have already been purchased. The avoids have to buy new cable assemblies. Right angle coax adapters feature in-series connectors (the same connectors ) or between series (different connectors) versions to address every application imaginable. We offer a wide array of off-the shelf right angle coax adapters to address a range of applications. Recommendations Evaluate physical installation constraints early—if space is tight or panel depth limited, plan for a 90° adapter rather than forcing routing compromises. Match the adapter’s frequency range, power handling, connector type and VSWR specification to your RF system’s requirements (especially in high-frequency or PIM-sensitive setups). When using 90° adapters, keep cable runs as short and direct as possible to minimize additional loss or reflections introduced by the angle. Consider the adapter’s body material and durability, especially in environments with vibration or mechanical stress, since right-angle adapters may see load in different directions. Include the right-angle adapter’s impact on your RF budget (loss, return loss, PIM) just as you would any transition or connector. As with typical coaxial adapters, there are as many right-angle coaxial adapter types as there are coaxial connector standard combinations. However, there are also additional types of right-angle adapters to accommodate different performance requirements. Traditional RA adapters are designed to provide the minimal footprint to perform a right-angle transition. This is often at the sacrifice of performance and possibly even maximum frequency of operation. There is a solution to this however, but it involves bending a rigid cable around an acceptable radius for the maximum frequency of operation. These radius right angle, or swept radius right angle, 90 degree coax adapter variations tend to be better performing than their hard right-angle counterparts, but also tend to be more expensive and larger than typical right angle adapters. Other 90 degree coax adapter types include reverse polarity (RP) types, but these are often limited to SMA and TNC connector standards, as those are the most common found with RP configurations. Related articles Peter McNeil | Oct 04, 2022 | Coax To Waveguide Adapters Outside of board-level RF interconnect, waveguides and coaxial interconnect are the most common types of RF interconnect. Waveguides are typically used with higher power, higher fidelity, and higher frequency banded applications. Coaxial transmission line interconnect is much more common in many applications as it is more readily fabricated into flexible or semi-flexible sections, and still provides moderate transmission performance and can more readily be connected/disconnected than waveguide. In some highly complex or mixed high-power/high-frequency systems there is a mix of coaxial and waveguide interconnect. In these cases, there is a need to adapt between waveguide and coaxial standards. The most common way of doing this is by using Waveguide to Coaxial Adapters . Coax to Waveguide Adapter These adapters typically have a coaxial port, either male or female, at a 90-degree angle to the waveguide flange. The reasons that the coaxial connector is at a 90-degree angle is that the coaxial center conductor is generally the probe that extends into the waveguide and couples the electromagnetic energy between the coaxial TEM mode transmission in the coaxial connector and the waveguide modes in the waveguide. The coaxial center conductor probe is inserted into a rectangular waveguide perpendicular or parallel to the maximum E-field of the rectangular waveguide’s TE10 mode. The depth of the probe and the geometry of the probe are designed such that the EM fields radiated or coupled into the waveguide are optimized and avoid creating higher order waveguide modes. The opposite end in respect to the waveguide flange of a waveguide to coaxial adapter is a short circuit designed to a quarter wavelength of the desired center frequency of the waveguide to ensure radiation in only one direction. As coaxial interconnect tends to have lower power handling than waveguide at the same frequencies, it is important to note that the coaxial interconnect is likely to be the limiting factor in a waveguide to coaxial adapter’s power handling specification. Also, since waveguides are “banded” meaning they have an upper and lower frequency band, and coaxial transmission lines have only an upper frequency limit, then the waveguide will likely be the limiting factor in the lower frequency specification of the waveguide to coaxial adapter. Waveguides also tend to be physically larger than coaxial transmission lines until upper millimeter-wave frequencies. 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