What does the abbreviation SMA stand for ?
Jon Vandenbruaene
Hello,
does anybody know what the letters SMA stand for
(I know what it is).
Thank You,
Jon Vandenbruaene
Dwayne McCoy
Can you give me a context (hardware, software, cars, airplanes, components .
. .)
Jon Vandenbruaene wrote in message <356D2020...@intec.rug.ac.be>...
David Sherman
Presumably he means the tiny expensive, gold microwave connectors.
I don't know either. Actually, names for coax connectors are buried in
post-WWII obscurity. Maybe some old-time tube-head can fill us in. I
know there are SMB and SMC connectors as well, which are much like SMA,
so that implies that the "A" part at least is maybe not an abbreviation.
I used to think BNC came from "Berkely Nucleonics Co." who used them as
early as anybody, but I've been told it's just some random code letters.
Other common coax connectors are type "N" (very expensive), and UHF
(presumably "ultra-high-frequency) connectors (PL-259). Less common
series are TNC, MHV, SHV, C, HN, SC, and F. There is also a "mini-UHF"
and a SSMA (which implies that the "S" means "Small" since SSMA looks
like SMA but is smaller. There seems to be no logic to the naming except
that SMX are all tiny microwave connectors and TNC is maybe a "Threaded"
version of the "Bayonet" BNC.
If you really want to know what they stand for, you might try calling
Pasternack Enterprises in Irvine CA (714)261-7451. They sell every RF
connector known to man.
---David Sherman
Dan Evans
On Thu, 28 May 1998 10:28:16 +0200, Jon Vandenbruaene
<jjvd...@intec.rug.ac.be> wrote:
>does anybody know what the letters SMA stand for
>(I know what it is).
SMA used to be a type of baby food ;-)
-- Dan Evans. d...@danevans.demon.co.ukk (remove final k to email me).
Fred E. Davis
On Thu, 28 May 1998 10:03:57 -0700, David Sherman <dav...@virtual-cafe.com>
wrote:
>I used to think BNC came from "Berkely Nucleonics Co." who used them as
>early as anybody, but I've been told it's just some random code letters.
A quick search reveals:
from http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/pub/Acronyms
"BNC Bayonet Neill Concelman (connector) [electronics] (see also TNC)"
"TNC Threaded Neill Concelman (connector) [electronics] (see also BNC)"
from http://www.insa-lyon.fr/People/AEDI/glickind/acronyms/main.htm#B
"BNC Bayonet Neill-Concelman"
from http://www.mark-itt.ru/Collection/Other/babel96b.html#B
"BNC Bayonet Neill-Concelman"
from http://www.io.com/docs/vera.html
"BNC Bayonet Neill Concelman [connector] "
but, just to keep it interesting, from http://www.rane.com/par-b.htm
"BNC (bayonet Neill Concelman, or baby N-connector, or bayonet connector) A
bayonet-locking connector for slim coaxial cables. What "BNC" truly stands
for is still debated: 1) There is an "N-connector," similar to, but larger
than the BNC-type, used for fat coaxial cables; 2) Neill Concelman is
credited with inventing this connector; 3) And, of course, it is a
bayonet-style - so, take your pick. [An interested peruser of this
reference wrote me and said that the "N" stands for Navy, who developed the
connector for war-time communication during WWII."
>Actually, names for coax connectors are buried in post-WWII obscurity.
>Other common coax connectors are type "N" ..., and UHF ... . Less common
>series are TNC, MHV, SHV, C, HN, SC, and F. There is also a "mini-UHF"
>and a SSMA ... .
Other examples of the alphabet soup for connector styles include: BN, LC,
LT, PULSE, QDL, QDS, QL, QM, SKL, SM, TPS, TWIN.
David Sherman
Fred E. Davis wrote:
>
>
> A quick search reveals:
>
> from http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/pub/Acronyms
>
> "BNC Bayonet Neill Concelman (connector) [electronics] (see also TNC)"
Thanks, Fred. That sounds somewhat believable, along with the other
possible etymologies you listed. I'm beginning to think the connector
names are abbreviations for something, but I don't think anyone has
definitively answered the original query which was for the meaning of
SMA. My best GUESS is "Small Microwave type A" (since there is a B and C
as well) We can all guess until the cows come home, however. Lots of
people still think that since BC means "Before Christ", AD must mean
"After Death" rather than "in the year of our Lord".
Lots of electrical engineer standards came about in the decade after
WWII, with the development of Radar, Nuclear weapons, and Guided
missiles. Someone should perhaps document where the names for things
came from before the inventors are all dead. Some are sort of obvious:
An "octal" tube base has 8 pins; a "loctal" base has 8 pins, but locks
into its socket (cute). Some just have gotten shorter: an "Eccles-Jordan
"circuit is now a "flip-flop"; a "long-tailed pair" is now a "diff amp".
One that I'd like to know about is where the term "Klystron" came from.
I know everything "tron" is about controlling electrons (Magnetron,
Ignitron, Thyratron, etc) but why "Klyst"? Actually, why "Thyra"
either...
---David Sherman
Lukas Stras
In article <356D98FD...@virtual-cafe.com>,
David Sherman <dav...@virtual-cafe.com> wrote:
>Presumably he means the tiny expensive, gold microwave connectors.
AFAIK, the SMA stands for sub-minature "A" connector -- as opposed
to sub-minature "B" and "C". Simply three different variants
of subminature connector.
Jerry Codner
Jon Vandenbruaene wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> does anybody know what the letters SMA stand for
> (I know what it is).
>
>
> Jon Vandenbruaene
But we don't know what you think it is.
SMA is sub-miniature A, a small threaded 50 ohm coaxial connector
suitable for dc to microwave frequencies. A smaller version is
called sub-miniature B. But I think SMC stands for something
completely different and of course SMD is surface mount device,
so you could have an SMD SMA.
Other Uses
shape memory alloy
sintered magnetic alloy
Sir Montegue Allison
Who knows what you have in mind.
Jerry Codner
c.c.t...@whatxdoesx.killspam.us.com
Fred E. Davis (FED...@worldnet.att.net) wrote:
: "BNC (bayonet Neill Concelman, or baby N-connector, or bayonet connector) A
: bayonet-locking connector for slim coaxial cables. What "BNC" truly stands
: for is still debated: 1) There is an "N-connector," similar to, but larger
: than the BNC-type, used for fat coaxial cables;
In fact the far less common bayonet C connector is the big brother of the
BNC connector, not the threaded N connector.
Stephen
DAVID KATZ
Sub Miniature Acronym
;)
am
Hiya,
Well seeing as no context was given I feel quite happy to say
it stands for Spectrum Managment Authority (the old Australian
equivilent to the FCC).
Regards,
andrewm at quicknet dot com dot au
Jon Vandenbruaene wrote in message <356D2020...@intec.rug.ac.be>...
Mike Playle
>Hello,
>
>does anybody know what the letters SMA stand for
>(I know what it is).
Some Manky Acronym?
Joe Seymour
Jon Vandenbruaene (jjvd...@intec.rug.ac.be) wrote:
: Hello,
: does anybody know what the letters SMA stand for
: (I know what it is).
I posted this about a year ago in this same notesgroup:
This question / statement comes up so often in this group
that it should be in the FAQ. A joint Army - Navy RF Cable
Coordinating Committee was established in the early 1940s.
The N connector was developed under the guidance of the
ANRFCCC and named for Paul Neill of Bell Labs who was on
the committee and worked on the design. This was followed
by a high voltage version (HN). The C connector came next
and was named after Carl Concelman of Amphenol. It featured
a twist-lock quick connect. The BNC was jointly developed
by Neill and Concelman, hence the N and C and B for baby
because of its size. In 1956 a threaded version emerged,
however its origins are difficult to pin down Raytheon,
Sandia National labs and General RF Fittings have all been
mentioned.
This info is paraphrased from an article in the "State of
the Art Reference" supplement to the September 1990 issue of
"Microwave Journal". The article was written by Mario Maury
Jr. (Maury Microwave Corp) and is well worth reading
(Microwave Coaxial Connector Technology: A Continuing
Evolution). He cites several references, but in this context
a key reference is: J.H. Bryant, "Coaxial Transmission
Lines... Connectors and Components: A US Historical
Perspective," IEEE Transactions on MTT, Sept 1984, pp. 970-982
The above is in response to the drift from your original
post. Now, about the SMA connector (using above references):
The SMA connector is the most widely used connector in the
world. It was designed by James Cheal at Bendix Research
Laboratories in 1958 and originally was the BRM (Bendix real
miniature) connector. Its development was continued by Omni
Spectra and then was called the OSM connector. In 1968 it
received a mil-std designation of SMA (sub-miniature A). Its
first known use was in a Doppler radar missile guidance seeker
developed at Bendix (C-Band).
Joe S.
Mark Zenier
In article <356D98FD...@virtual-cafe.com>,
David Sherman <dav...@virtual-cafe.com> wrote:
>Presumably he means the tiny expensive, gold microwave connectors.
>early as anybody, but I've been told it's just some random code letters.
The BNC question rears it's ugly head again. ;-)
Mark Zenier mze...@eskimo.com mze...@netcom.com
:From: jo...@sr.hp.com (Joe Seymour)
:Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
:Subject: Re: BNC... The name.
:Date: 16 Jun 1997 18:30:31 GMT
:Organization: Hewlett Packard Sonoma County
:
: This question / statement comes up so often in this group that it should
:be in the FAQ. A joint Army - Navy RF Cable Coordinating Committee was
:established in the early 1940s. The N connector was developed under the
:guidance of the ANRFCCC and named for Paul Neill of Bell Labs who was on
:the committee and worked on the design. This was followed by a high voltage
:version (HN). The C connector came next and was named after Carl Concelman
:of Amphenol. It featured a twist-lock quick connect. The BNC was jointly
:developed by Neill and Concelman, hence the N and C and B for baby because
:of its size. In 1956 a threaded version emerged, however its origins are
:difficult to pin down Raytheon, Sandia National labs and General RF Fittings
:have all been mentioned.
:
: This info is paraphrased from an article in the "State of the Art Reference"
:supplement to the September 1990 issue of "Microwave Journal". The article
:was written by Mario Maury Jr. (Maury Microwave Corp) and is well worth
:reading (Microwave Coaxial Connector Technology: A Continuing Evolution). He
:cites several references, but in this context a key reference is: J.H. Bryant,
:"Coaxial Transmission Lines... Connectors and Components: A US Historical
:Perspective," IEEE Transactions on MTT, Sept 1984, pp. 970-982
:
: Joe S.
:
:
:From: Erik Quackenbush <equ...@scala.com>
:Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
:Subject: Re: BNC... The name.
:Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 17:21:03 -0400
:Organization: Scala R&D
:
:James P. Meyer wrote:
:>
:> I finally found a semi-respectable reference for the derivation
:> of the name "BNC". Johnson Connector company prints a small booklet with
:> neat "facts" in it. They claim that E. Clark Quackenbush invented the
:> UHF or PL-259 connector while he worked for Amphenol company in the
:> 1930's. They say that Paul Neill of Bell Labs invented the N connector.
:> The letters B, N, and C stand for *B*ayonet, *N*eill, and *C*ouncelman.
:> Thay don't give Councelman's first name though.
:>
:> Jim "With a power supply named after him." Meyer
:
:The UHF connector you mention was indeed invented by my late great uncle
:Clark. He also did a locking tube socket for Galvin which made the first
:car radios practical.
:
:My uncle Allen (also an industry veteran) reports that Clark's comment
:upon seeing his work in the Motorola corporate museum was an indignant:
:"that's not an antique- I invented that!!"
:
:-Erik
:
:--
:Erik Quackenbush, Engineering Manager, InfoChannel
:Scala Research & Development 1-610-363-3343
:mailto:erik.qua...@scala.com http://www.scala.com
c.c.t...@whatxdoesx.killspam.us.com
Joe Seymour (jo...@sr.hp.com) wrote:
: post. Now, about the SMA connector (using above references):
: The SMA connector is the most widely used connector in the
: world. It was designed by James Cheal at Bendix Research
Hard to believe, the answer would be different for current or cumulative
use, but I would have bet on any of the following;
The phono (RCA) connector
1/4 inch audio jack (used in the millions before the days of electronic
phone switches)
BNC
Those tacky US TV coax connectors (F?)
DIN connectors
Stephen
Bob Weiss
How about the AC line connector. Properly called a NEMA 5-15P (I think).
Bob Weiss
Dave Moore
If you know what it stands for why don't you
just say so ? Please don't waste my time.
=^^= DM
Gary Tait
In article <356F3DC1...@carroll.com>, Bob Weiss <bwe...@carroll.com>
wrote:
#How about the AC line connector. Properly called a NEMA 5-15P (I think).
#
#Bob Weiss
#
NEMA 5-15 is correct ,the letter designation is for fitting type
(P=plug,S=Socket,R=Recepticle)
It is not used around the world,but primarily in North America.
Gary Tait,VE3VBF
FRID...@psfc.mit.edu
In a previous article, "Dwayne McCoy" <dmc...@laol.net> wrote:
->Can you give me a context (hardware, software, cars, airplanes, components .
->. .)
->
->
->Jon Vandenbruaene wrote in message <356D2020...@intec.rug.ac.be>...
->>Hello,
->>
->>does anybody know what the letters SMA stand for
->>(I know what it is).
->>
->>Thank You,
->>
->>Jon Vandenbruaene
->>
->
->
My guess he is talking about small threaded coaxial connectors, known
as SMA, or fiberoptic connectors, which are simular in size to RF SMA
connectors and also called SMA. I don't know what SMA stand for
(sub-miniature something?)
Mike