SMA barrel adapter — 50 Ohm, DC to 18 GHz
The TE 1-1478981-0 is a straight SMA plug-to-plug adapter, male-to-male centre gender, part of the Greenpar series. It mates two SMA male connectors end-to-end — useful for extending a cable run or joining two SMA-female-terminated assemblies without a bulkhead. The adapter carries a 50 Ohm characteristic impedance and is rated to 18 GHz, with an insertion loss of 0.10dB across the band. The stainless steel body with gold finish and gold-plated brass centre contact handles 500 mating cycles before the plating wears through — enough for test-bench reconfiguration or field-swapped links, though not a permanent-install part.
No official successor order code is on record.
What the RF ratings mean in practice
The 18 GHz frequency ceiling is the 1 dB compression point — above that, the return loss degrades and the adapter starts acting as a discontinuity. For a 0.10dB insertion loss at 18 GHz, the adapter contributes about 2.3% power loss; at lower frequencies the loss is proportionally smaller. The 500 mating cycle rating is a wear limit on the gold plating: after that, the brass centre contact starts to oxidise and the contact resistance drifts. For a field-installed link that mates once and stays, the cycle count is irrelevant; for a test-equipment adapter that sees daily connects, 500 cycles is about two years of regular use before replacement.