What are I-PEX MHF Connectors?

I-PEX MHF Connectors are surface mount miniature RF connectors developed by I-PEX. These connectors were designed by I-PEX as an alternative to U.FL connectors (developed by the Hirose Electrical Group) and AMC Connectors (developed by Amphenol). These connectors offer high-frequency performance from DC to 6 GHz, but some connectors can operate up 9 GHz. They feature a nominal mated height of 2.5 mm max and have a small mounting area of 3 x 3.1 mm. These connectors are solderless and have a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms.

I-PEX MHF connectors are miniature surface-mount coaxial connectors, that are used in applications that have limited real estate. They can be used inside smartphones, laptops and embedded systems in order to connect the Wi-Fi antenna to a Mini PCI, Mini PCIe or M.2 WiFi card.

IPEX MHF is the first generation of IPEX micro RF coaxial connectors, and is compatible with U.FL connectors (Hirose) and AMC connectors (Amphenol). IPEX MHF are typically terminated with 1.13 mm and 1.32 mm coaxial cables. But now there are several RF connectors available like MHF37, MHF II/MHF2, MHF III/MHF 3, and MHF IV/MHF4, with various termination options - 1.37, 1.32, 1.13, 1.48, 0.81 mm, and RG178 cables. The IPEX MHF female connectors are surface-mounted and soldered directly on to the printed circuit board.

Key Features of I-PEX MHF Connectors

• Surface mount miniature RF connectors
• Operate from DC to 6 GHz (can operate up to 9 GHz)
• Solderless micro-coax termination technology "i-Fit" and provide consistent performance.
• These connectors are easy to remove by using proper extraction tools
• Plugs are terminated with ultra-fine coaxial cables with a diameter of 1.37, 1.32, 1.13, 1.48, 0.81 mm. Also compatible with RG178 options.