GR-874 connector: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 01:43, 8 June 2024

General Radio 874 (GR-874) connectors are hermaphroditic (asexual) coaxial RF connectors developed by Eduard Karplus, Harold M. Wilson and William R. Thurston at General Radio in the late 1940s, initially "for applications up to 4500 Mc" (4.5 GHz).

They first appeared in the General Radio Catalog L of 1948. The original versions were friction-supported, in 1961 a locking series was introduced.

GR-874 connectors are carefully engineered to keep a constant impedance throughout the signal path, by varying connector diameters between free-air and dielectrically supported sections. These connectors therefore exhibit very little reflection and are well suited for frequencies up to 9 GHz and pulse applications. For higher frequencies a smaller connector is required to avoid the excitation of wave guide modes.

Most GR-874 connectors came in 50 Ω impedance. Versions for 75 Ω and 125 Ω were also available using the same ground shield and housing, but different (thinner) center pin geometry. The Tektronix 519 1-GHz oscilloscope uses the 125 Ω GR-874 variant.

The regular 50 Ω version is used in the 1S1, 1S2, 3S1, 3S7, 3S76, 3T7, 4S1, 4S2, 5T1, 5T1A, 5T3, 7M11, N, S-1, S-2, 106, 109, 110, 113, 191, 261, 280, 281, 282, R293, 661, P6025, P6032, P6051, 017-0086-00, 017-0088-00, 035-5031-00, 067-506, 067-0511-00, 067-0513-00, 067-0578-99, 067-0594-00, 067-0832-01, and possibly others, as well as in many adaptors, attenuators, and terminators.

Different versions of the connector have different maximum voltage ratings; 1000 V is typical.

By the 1970s, GR-874 connectors were being supplanted by SMA connectors in test equipment, see e.g. the progression from the S-1 to the S-4 sampling heads, also motivated by the higher bandwidth requirements.

GR-874 connectors and adapters continue to be available through IET Labs, Max-Gain Systems, Pasternack and possibly others.

Links

GR-874 Section of 1973 General Radio Catalog
GR-874 information at GRWiki including detailed lists of parts and equipment
GR connector @ Wikipedia
MGS sales list of GR874 hardware
017-051/017-052/017-053/017-055 adapters
GR-874 Connector @ YouTube

Documents Referencing GR-874 connector

Document	Class	Title	Authors	Year	Links
GenRad Experimenter Oct 1948.pdf	Article	A Radically New Coaxial Connector for the Laboratory		1948	GR-874 connector
GenRad Experimenter Oct 1961.pdf	Article	New and Improved Coaxial Connectors		1961	GR-874 connector

Patents that may apply to GR-874 connector

Page	Title	Inventors	Filing date	Grant date	Links
Patent US 2548457A	Coaxial connector for high-frequency transmission lines	Harold M Wilson	1947-01-10	1951-04-10	GR-874 connector

Pictures

GR-874 connectors on a 106 pulse generator
50 Ω GR-874 connector
125 Ω GR-874 connector
125 Ω GR-874 connectors on Tek 017-050 and 017-071
Two 75 Ω and one 50 Ω GR-874 connectors
An assortment of GR-874 connectors and adapters
GR-874 50 Ω Terminator
7M11 delay line front panel with four GR-874 connectors
GR-874 connector on S-1 sampling head
Patent drawings from US2548457

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Gr874 connector.jpg|250px|thumb|right]]
-'''General Radio 874 (GR-874)''' connectors are hermaphroditic (asexual) coaxial RF connectors developed
+'''General Radio 874 (GR-874)''' connectors are hermaphroditic (asexual) coaxial RF connectors developed by [[grwiki:Eduard Karplus|Eduard Karplus]], [[grwiki:Harold M. Wilson|Harold M. Wilson]] and [[grwiki:William R. Thurston|William R. Thurston]] at [[General Radio]] in the late 1940s, initially "for applications up to 4500 Mc" (4.5 GHz).
-by [[General Radio]] in the late 1940s.
-They are typically for 50 Ω impedance, but versions for 75 Ω and 125 Ω were available
+They first appeared in the [[grwiki:Catalogs|General Radio Catalog L of 1948]]. The original versions were friction-supported, in 1961 a locking series was introduced.
-using the same ground shield and housing, but different center pin geometry.
-Different versions of the connector have different maximum voltage ratings;
-V is typical. There are locking and non-locking versions.
-GR-874 connectors are carefully engineered to keep a constant impedance
+GR-874 connectors are carefully engineered to keep a constant impedance throughout the signal path, by varying connector diameters between free-air and dielectrically supported sections.  These connectors therefore exhibit very little reflection and are well suited for frequencies up to 9 GHz and pulse applications. For higher frequencies a smaller connector is required to avoid the excitation of wave guide modes.
-throughout the signal path, by varying connector diameters between free-air
-and dielectrically supported sections.  These connectors therefore exhibit
-very little reflection and are well suited for gigahertz and pulse applications.
-The Tektronix [[519]] uses a 125 Ω GR-874 connector which has
+Most GR-874 connectors came in 50 Ω impedance.  Versions for 75 Ω and 125 Ω were also available using the same ground shield and housing, but different (thinner) center pin geometry. The [[519|Tektronix 519 1-GHz oscilloscope]] uses the 125 Ω GR-874 variant.
-the same ground housing as the 50 Ω variant,
-but has a center pin that is thinner and shaped differently.
-The regular 50 Ω version is used in the [[1S1]], [[1S2]],
+The regular 50 Ω version is used in the [[1S1]], [[1S2]], [[3S1]], [[3S7]], [[3S76]], [[3T7]], [[4S1]], [[4S2]], [[5T1]], [[5T1A]], [[5T3]], [[7M11]], [[N]], [[S-1]], [[S-2]], [[106]], [[109]], [[110]], [[113]], [[191]], [[261]], [[280]], [[281]], [[282]], [[R293]], [[661]], [[P6025]], [[P6032]], [[P6051]], [[017-0086-00]], [[017-0088-00]], [[035-5031-00]], [[067-506]], [[067-0511-00]], [[067-0513-00]], [[067-0578-99]], [[067-0594-00]], [[067-0832-01]], and possibly others, as well as in many adaptors, attenuators, and terminators.
-[[3S1]], [[3S7]], [[3T7]], [[4S1]], [[4S2]], [[5T1]], [[5T1A]], [[5T3]], [[7M11]], [[N]], [[S-1]], [[S-2]], [[106]], [[109]], [[110]], [[113]], [[191]], [[280]], [[281]], [[282]], [[282]] and possibly others.
-By the 1970s, GR-874 connectors were being supplanted by SMA connectors in test equipment,
+Different versions of the connector have different maximum voltage ratings; 1000 V is typical.
-see e.g. the progression from the [[S-1]] to the [[S-4]] sampling heads.
+By the 1970s, GR-874 connectors were being supplanted by SMA connectors in test equipment, see e.g. the progression from the [[S-1]] to the [[S-4]] sampling heads, also motivated by the higher bandwidth requirements.
+GR-874 connectors and adapters continue to be available through [http://www.ietlabs.com/gr874-connectors.html IET Labs], [http://www.mgs4u.com/RF-Microwave/General-Radio-GR-874.htm Max-Gain Systems], [https://www.pasternack.com/gr874-adapters-category.aspx Pasternack] and possibly others.
 ==Links==
-* [[017-053]] adapter
+* [[Media:Gr874 1973 gr catalog.pdf | GR-874 Section of 1973 General Radio Catalog]]
-* [http://w140.com/gr874_1973_gr_catalog.pdf GR-874 Section of 1973 General Radio Catalog (PDF)]
+* [[grwiki:GR-874|GR-874 information at GRWiki including detailed lists of parts and equipment]]
-* [http://www.google.com/patents/US2548457 US Patent #2548457, Coaxial connector for high-frequency transmission lines]. Filed 10 Jan 1947, granted 10 Apr 1951.
+* [[wikipedia:GR_connector|GR connector]] @ Wikipedia
+* [http://www.mgs4u.com/RF-Microwave/General-Radio-GR-874.htm MGS sales list of GR874 hardware]
+* [[017-051]]/[[017-052]]/[[017-053]]/[[017-055]] adapters
+* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPKYc4XLho GR-874 Connector] @ YouTube
+{{Documents|Link=GR-874 connector}}
+{{PatentLinks|GR-874 connector}}
 ==Pictures==
 <gallery>
-File:Gr874 connector.jpg
+Gr874 connector.jpg
-File:Gr874 plug.plug.jpg
+Gr874 plug.plug.jpg
-File:gr874-50.jpg | 50 Ω GR-874 connector
+Tek106-outputs.jpg | GR-874 connectors on a [[106]] pulse generator
-File:gr874-125.jpg | 125 Ω GR-874 connector
+Gr874-50.jpg | 50 Ω GR-874 connector
-File:50 versus 75 ohm gr874.jpg | Two 75 Ω and one 50 Ω GR-874 connectors
+Gr874-125.jpg | 125 Ω GR-874 connector
-File:Various GR874 connectors.jpg | An assortment of GR-874 connectors and adapters
+tek_017-050_and_017-071_3.jpg|125 Ω GR-874 connectors on Tek [[017-050]] and [[017-071]]
-File:Gr 874-w50b.jpg|GR-874 50 Ω Terminator
+versus 75 ohm gr874.jpg | Two 75 Ω and one 50 Ω GR-874 connectors
-File:Tek-7m11-front.jpg | [[7M11]] delay line front panel with four GR-874 connectors
+Various GR874 connectors.jpg | An assortment of GR-874 connectors and adapters
-File:S1-crop.jpg | GR-874 connector on [[S-1]] sampling head
+Gr 874-w50b.jpg|GR-874 50 Ω Terminator
-File:US2548457.jpg | Patent drawings from US2548457
+Tek-7m11-front.jpg | [[7M11]] delay line front panel with four GR-874 connectors
+S1-crop.jpg | GR-874 connector on [[S-1]] sampling head
+US2548457.jpg | Patent drawings from US2548457
 </gallery>
 [[Category:Coaxial connectors]]
+[[Category:Probe interfaces]]
+[[Category:Introduced in 1948]]