What do mating cycles in relation to connectors mean?

[chstergi]

Hello. I'm about to order a reference airline with N-type connectors. In specifications "mating cycles" is mentioned. What does it mean?
Specially, it mentions that mating cycles is >500. Is it a good value for a microwave component?
Thank you in advance.

 

[Azulykit]

Re: About connectors

That refers to the number of times you can mate and break the N connectors before mechanical wear starts to degrade the connector interface. You might also ask the vendor for instructions about how the mate the connectors while minimizing the physical damage. You might also want to inquire about torque specifications and cleaning instructions.

My frist reaction is that 500 cycles seems low but if you are doing precision calibration it may be par for the course. N connectors are pretty rugged. You don't mention the frequency of interest. That is a factor that may change the picture some as well.

Commercial N connectors go up to about 12 GHz and precision versions are usable up to about 18 GHz. You may want to consider APC-7's as an alternative.