The Hirose MS-162B(02) is a 50 Ohm coaxial switch receptacle with an internal switch, designed for surface-mount attachment. It belongs to the MS-162B series and carries the base product number MS-162. The connector style is a coaxial switch with a 4mm plug diameter, using a snap-on fastening mechanism for quick mating and unmating. The gold-plated brass body and gold center contact plating suit repeated connect-disconnect cycles in RF signal paths.
Rated to 10 GHz maximum frequency with an insertion loss of 0.7 dB, this receptacle handles the upper end of common wireless and instrumentation bands. The 50 Ohm impedance matches standard RF system designs — the impedance is set by the dielectric material (LCP) and the contact geometry, not something you tune on the board. The single-port configuration with solder shield termination keeps the ground reference clean through the launch.
Mating cycles and mechanical endurance
Rated for 12000 mating cycles, which is well above the typical 500-1000 cycles for a standard RF connector. This cycle life comes from the snap-on coupling and the gold-on-gold contact interface — the gold center contact (copper alloy base) and gold body finish resist fretting corrosion over repeated mates. This makes the MS-162B(02) a fit for test equipment, field-serviceable modules, or any application where the connector sees frequent connect-disconnect duty.
Internal switch — what it does
The internal switch feature means the receptacle contains a switching element that routes the RF signal between the center contact and an alternate path when the mating plug is inserted or removed. This is common in antenna selection circuits or signal routing where the connector itself acts as a switch — the insertion of the mating plug breaks one path and makes another. The switch is internal to the receptacle, so no external relay or switching IC is needed for the basic function.
The LCP dielectric handles the reflow profile without significant dimensional shift.