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Is it always best to use a cable with the highest cut-off frequency?

I am working on an application in the sub-6 GHz frequency range. When selecting a cable to test my application, should I pick one which has a cut-off frequency of 12 GHz or one that has a cut-off frequency of over 60 GHz.

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Answer

- everything RF

Jul 9, 2017
There are two main factors to consider when selecting a cable. 

Cost: The higher the cut-off frequency the more expensive the cable. Cables with a higher cut-off frequency will have a smaller conductor diameter. These smaller the connector diameter the more challenging it is to manufacturer, which usually results in a higher cable cost.
 
Loss: The smaller the connector geometry, the higher is the over-all cable loss caused by skin effect. So, for longer cables it is better to sacrifice bandwidth to minimize the over-all loss in the transmission path.
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