IN Brief:
- High-frequency lab setups are pushing beyond the 110 GHz “comfort zone” as 6G and advanced imaging expand.
- Molex has extended its Cardinal multi-port coax assembly platform to 145 GHz with phase matching and solderless board attachment.
- The assemblies are positioned for dense, repeatable, multi-channel testing in AI, mmWave, satellite, and radar applications.
Molex has expanded its Cardinal family with new multi-port high-frequency coaxial assemblies rated to 145 GHz, positioning the product for test and measurement environments where port density and repeatability are increasingly the limiting factors. The assemblies support data characterisation rates up to 448 Gbps, targeting next-generation AI clusters alongside 5G/6G infrastructure, satellite communications, mmWave radar, and terahertz imaging.
At the component level, the assemblies consolidate multiple RF connections into a single multi-port housing, then hold signal integrity and mechanical repeatability steady through repeated connect cycles. Molex says the assemblies deliver phase-matched, high-precision connections up to 145 GHz, with an emphasis on minimising insertion loss and improving return loss performance at extreme frequencies.
On the mechanical side, Molex is leaning on solderless compression mounting for PCB attachment, aimed at lab environments where evaluation boards are constantly being swapped, reworked, and reconfigured. The company rates the interface for consistent performance over 500+ mating cycles, and points to the value of repeatability in situations where a connector may be mated and unmated hundreds of times across a test campaign.
The multi-port format is offered in single-row 1×4 or 1×8 configurations, and a dual-row 2×8 option for higher-density setups. Molex also lists compatibility with 1.85 mm, 1.0 mm, and 0.8 mm coaxial connectors, positioning the platform as a practical bridge between current high-frequency interfaces and the next step up in lab requirements. Cable lengths are offered in standard 6, 12, 24, or 36-inch options, with custom lengths also available.
Roman Buff, general manager, RF, Molex, said: “The expansion to 145 GHz represents a natural evolution of the Cardinal product line, which was built to solve the growing need for increased port density without compromising signal integrity. This new high-speed solution integrates high-frequency contact technology in the Cardinal multi-port housing, empowering engineers to bridge the gap from AI to 6G and test the silicon of tomorrow using the infrastructure of today.”
Molex frames 110 GHz as the established benchmark for high-performance testing, with 145 GHz aimed at the next wave of mmWave and adjacent applications where channel bandwidth, modulation formats, and device complexity are moving faster than lab hardware refresh cycles. In that context, a multi-port architecture is as much about workflow as it is about frequency — fewer discrete connectors, shorter board traces, faster changeovers, and fewer variables when chasing down marginal signal-integrity failures.
The 145 GHz assemblies are available now, joining existing Cardinal offerings at 67 GHz and 110 GHz, and it plans to show the technology at DesignCon 2026 (Feb. 24–26) in Santa Clara.
