Recent stringent testing has led to coax “1C” contact configurations of the popular BIRNS Millennium™ connector series to receive certification to open face pressure to 6 km.

This is not the first breakthrough in RF technology for BIRNS—the company developed new coax contacts several years ago that were tested to withstand open face hydrostatic pressure to 1,443m. Its RF advancements were already leading the industry in low insertion losses and high frequency capability matched with pressure resistance capabilities—with proprietary technology providing maximum insertion losses of ≤0.7 dB UHF insertion loss and ≤1.7:1 VSWR at 3GHz.

However, the new 40 cycle open face hydrostatic testing protocols yielded even lower insertion losses: at 8800 psi, losses of only -0.35dB at 3.0 GHz with a VSWR of 1.2. The new certification of 6km open faced resistance will provide a wider range of highly advanced connectivity options for developers of subsea systems, according to BIRNS.