Title: Cables, wires, waveguides, RF connectors, RF and microwave passive components and accessories

Scope: To establish and maintain standards for the terminology, design, characteristics, related test methods and requirements for quality assessment of metallic conductors, wires, waveguide, RF connectors, RF and microwave passive components and accessories for analogue and digital transmission systems and equipment for communication networks and cabling.

Note: Magnetic components and ferrite devices covered by the scope of TC 51 will not be dealt with by this technical committee.

The standardization projects in TC 46 are carried out by several working groups and three subcommittees with their respective working groups.

The TC 46 working groups are:

WG 5 Test methods for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) related parameters of metallic cables and other passive components

WG 6 Passive Intermodulation Measurement (PIM)

WG 9 Metallic Cable Assemblies for ICT

WG 13 Leaky wave guides

JWG 1 Raw materials and environmental issues (linked to SC86A)

Sub-committees and their respective working groups:

SC 46A, “Coaxial Cables” is responsible for standardisation activities related to coaxial cables used primarily in ICT (Information and Communications Technology), microwave, multimedia distribution networks and systems, and telecommunications systems.

The SC 46A working groups are:

WG 3 Coaxial cables for ICT (Information and Communications Technology), multimedia distribution networks and systems, and telecommunications systems.

JWG 21 Hanging Brackets for Radiating Cables (managed by SC 23A)

SC 46C, “Wires and Symmetric Cables” is responsible for standardization activities related to symmetric cables used primarily in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and analogue and digital transmission systems and equipment for communication and signalling.

The SC 46C working groups are:

WG 7 Premises cables for digital communication

WG 10 Twinax Cables

MT 1 Maintenance Team 1 (To maintain the standard IEC 62255 and the series of standards with IEC IDs below 61000)

JWG 8 Hybrid communication cables (linked to SC86A)

JMT 1 Maintenance of ISO/IEC TS 11801-9903 (managed by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25)

SC 46F, “RF and Microwave Passive Components” is responsible for standardization activities related to rf & microwave connectors, waveguide and its assemblies, waveguide coaxial adapter, directional coupler, power divider and combiner, dummy load, rf rotary joint, filters and other microwave passive components which are used in telecommunications, multimedia distribution networks and systems. Magnetic components and ferrite devices are covered by TC51.

The SC 46F working group is:

WG 1 RF and Microwave Passive Components

Relevant market sectors using wired RF data communication, all undergoing higher than average global growth, are identified and listed together with their growing market use cases:

• Network data communication using a standard unified LAN, WAN, and Global network architecture ensures essential interoperability of digital system products.
• System Interconnection, using standard RF cables and related components, ensures essential reliability for critical use cases: Transportation, Security, and Medical technology systems.
• Automation systems using standard data communication protocols operating over standard data communication cabling links ensures essential accuracy for complex Industrial, Building, and Vehicular automation.
• Energy distribution systems for Renewable, Nuclear and Carbon power generation use standard data communication links in parallel with power lines to manage efficiency and faults.

Rapid system development for reduced time-to-market depends on standard component products specified using machine readable documents enabling automated design and conformance testing.

Market demand for the relevant use cases is driven by the cost saving from using standard data communication system applications, listed here together with their specific standard data communication applications’ protocols:

• Network systems use cases for LAN, WAN, and Global networks use Ethernet, SAS, WiFi, and 5G & 6G standard data communication application protocols.
• System Interconnection use cases for Transportation, Security, and Medical technology systems use Datacentre, AI Automation, and A/V Multimedia USB-C standard data communication application protocols.
• Automation systems use cases for Industrial, Building, and Vehicular automation use Internet-of-things, Fieldbus, Robotics, and Mobility standard data communication application protocols.
• Energy distribution systems use cases for Renewable, Nuclear and Carbon sourced power use parallel standard data communications application links and protocols to manage Grid, LVDC Island, Generation and Storage power efficiency and faults.

Relevant use cases’ supporting data communications application protocols are in turn supported by specific standard RF cabling components, which include one or more basic RF cable technologies: Coaxial, Symmetrical, Hybrid, and Waveguide; see part F, Technology and market trends, below.

SDGs justification:

Access to knowledge and education plays a major role in the development of solutions for several significant problems influencing every day’s life. Remote learning and collaboration based on tele-conferencing gain more importance as necessary reduction of CO2 emission will lead to reduced chances for face-to-face meetings. Additionally, restrictions originating from pandemic countermeasure enforce this need. Powerful and reliable telecommunications networks are therefore indispensable and can furthermore lead to – in terms of geography – more equally distributed potential for participation in education programs.

Resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization need better alignment of industrial production and generation of energy to be able to cope with climate change and expected energy shortage of the post carbon age. Furthermore, factories, offices and employees increasingly need to be connected remotely to enhance responsiveness while decreasing the need for travelling at the same time which also indicates the need for powerful and reliable telecommunications networks.

The increasing number of inhabitants of cities leads to a growing energy consumption in these cities which – under the constrains of a necessarily growing share of renewable energy sources – leads to the necessity to a better alignment of citizen’s energy consumption and the generation of energy. This can be supported by so-called smart grids which combine all information about demand and generation of energy in real time.

All three before described global trends indicate a strong need for improved telecommunications networks. Direct access for the users of telecommunication in offices, homes and agencies is mainly based on copper communications cables. This will remain extremely important due to the unique capability of copper communications cable to transfer both electrical power and information. Standards for these cables are developed by TC46 and its subcommittees and contribute to the achievement of these SDG’s.

Technology and market trends:

RF Cable technologies continue to advance according to general trends in data communications applications for higher data rates and longer reach. Standard RF Cable technologies are advancing according to related new requirements for specific data communications applications, listed here according to basic RF cable technologies, focus characteristics, and primary use cases:

• Coaxial cable, 30 GHz and up, focus on Phase stability, for 5G & 6G
• Coaxial cable, 100 GHz and up, focus on Return loss, for 6G
• Coaxial cable connectors, 100 GHz and up, focus on Return loss, for 6G
• Coaxial cable assemblies, 6 GHz and up, focus on Multi-coax circular connectors, for 5G
• Coaxial cable assemblies, 6 GHz and up, focus on Broadband PIM measurements, for 5G & 6G
• Coaxial cable assemblies, 6 GHz and up, focus on Magnetic characteristics, for AI & Quantum
• Symmetrical Twisted-pair cable, 600 MHz and up, focus on Extended Reach; for Ethernet
• Symmetrical Single-pair cable assemblies, 100 MHz and up, focus on EMC related testing; for Ethernet
• Symmetrical Twinax cable, 30 GHz and up, focus on Skew and TCTL; for Datacentre
• Symmetrical Twinax cable assemblies, 3 GHz and up, focus on EMC related testing; for Datacentre
• Hybrid Copper cable, 100 MHz and up, focus on EMC related testing, for Ethernet & IIoT
• Hybrid Copper cable, 20 GHz, focus on EMC related test, for USB-C
• Hybrid Optical cable, 0,1 MHz and up, focus on power capacity, for LVDC and 5G
• Waveguide, Leaky cable, 2 GHz and up, focus on radiated signal integrity, for 5G
• Development of environmental declarations, product specific rules for the general use case

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