Overview
IEC 61196-11:2016 is the International Electrotechnical Commission sectional specification for semi-rigid coaxial communication cables that use a polyethylene (PE) dielectric and a tubular outer conductor. The standard applies to cables intended for use in microwave and wireless equipment or other signal-transmission units operating at frequencies above 500 MHz. It is intended to be read in conjunction with IEC 61196-1:2005 (the generic specification).
Key topics and requirements
This sectional specification defines materials, construction and test requirements for semi-rigid RF/coaxial cables, including:
- Materials and construction
- Inner conductor types (solid, stranded, corrugated or smooth tubes) and dimensional tolerances
- Dielectric material fixed as polyethylene (PE) with options for solid, air-spaced or semi-air-spaced constructions
- Tubular outer conductor and sheath specifications
- Electrical characteristics
- Nominal characteristic wave impedance
- Rated temperature ranges and operating frequency (above 500 MHz)
- Average and peak power handling considerations
- Identification and marking
- Requirements for cable labeling, identification and traceability
- Performance and tests
- Electrical tests (e.g., d.c. resistance, capacitance, return loss, attenuation - see IEC 61196-1 test methods)
- Environmental tests (temperature, water penetration, climatic sequence, ageing)
- Mechanical tests (ovality, eccentricity, bending, crush resistance, tensile/pull force)
- Fire performance and combustion by-product testing (smoke density, halogen gas content)
- Quality assessment, delivery and storage
- Requirements for conformity assessment, packaging, storage and handling
Normative references include other IEC standards for environmental, mechanical, electrical and fire testing (for example IEC 60068-1, IEC 60332-1-2, IEC 60754-1, IEC 61034-2, and the IEC 61196-1 series of test methods).
Applications
IEC 61196-11 is used to specify and validate semi-rigid coaxial cables in:
- RF and microwave links within base stations, transceivers and antenna feeds
- Laboratory and test equipment where stable dimensional control and PE dielectric are required
- High-frequency interconnects in wireless infrastructure and microwave modules
Who uses this standard
- Cable designers and manufacturers creating semi-rigid PE-dielectric coaxial products
- RF/microwave engineers specifying high-frequency interconnects
- Test laboratories performing IEC compliance and type approval testing
- Procurement and quality teams ensuring material and performance compliance
Related standards
Keywords: IEC 61196-11, semi-rigid coaxial cables, polyethylene dielectric, PE dielectric, microwave cables, RF cables, wireless equipment, coaxial communication cables.
Open preview (PDF)Coaxial communication cables - Part 11: Sectional specification for semi-rigid cables with polyethylene (PE) dielectric
