{"id":52,"date":"2021-06-30T17:55:22","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T17:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablesondemand.com\/blog\/?p=52"},"modified":"2025-10-03T20:55:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T20:55:26","slug":"question-what-is-the-difference-between-sma-and-reverse-polarity-sma-connectors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablesondemand.com\/blog\/question-what-is-the-difference-between-sma-and-reverse-polarity-sma-connectors\/","title":{"rendered":"Question: What is the Difference Between SMA and Reverse Polarity SMA Connectors? What is the Difference Between TNC and Reverse Polarity TNC Connectors?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tech Support: Reverse Polarity (RP) RF Connectors vs. Standard Polarity RF Connectors<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Image Comparing Standard and Reverse Polarity SMA)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions<\/strong>: \u00a0What\u2019s the difference between a regular SMA Connector and a Reverse Polarity SMA Connector? What is the difference between a regular TNC Connector and a Reverse Polarity TNC Connector?<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the late 1990\u2019s, at the dawn of the WiFi technology boom that has inevitably changed the way we communicate, the Federal Communications Commission was greatly concerned.  Soon, wireless routers and access points would be entering the market and blasting the airwaves with short-distance transmissions that had never previously entered our airspace.  While these devices were designed to have a limited range, generally enough to cover a typical residence or office, the FCC knew that it was only a matter of time before users would attempt to boost the device\u2019s range with amplifiers and\/or external antennas, which could potentially wreak havoc on the WiFi band. The FCC\u2019s solution was a stop-gap measure known as Reverse Polarity Connectors.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, SMA and TNC connectors have been used successfully for high-frequency applications, such as cell-phone networks.  The problem was that SMA\u2019s and TNC\u2019s were readily available on the market in the form of coaxial cable assemblies and antennas.  To prevent users from equipping their wireless routers with such accessories, the FCC mandated the WiFi manufacturers utilize a new type of connector on the back of their devices \u2014 The Reverse Polarity Connector. For a couple of years, this strategy worked, but eventually Reverse Polarity versions of SMA and TNC connectors, known as RP-SMA and RP-TNC respectively, became just as readily available as their regular counterparts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So how do you tell which one is which? \u00a0A second look at the image above will help you. \u00a0An SMA Male Connector<\/a> is shown on the left. \u00a0Notice that there is a pin sticking out of the center of the connector. \u00a0A Reverse Polarity SMA (RP-SMA) Connector<\/a> is displayed on the right. \u00a0Notice that instead of a center pin, there is a center socket. \u00a0It is the swapping out of a center pin for a center socket that makes the connector a Reverse Polarity SMA (RP-SMA). \u00a0Note that both of the above connectors are considered male connectors. \u00a0Male SMA and Male RP-SMA connectors both feature their threads on the\u00a0inside<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0of the connector shell, i.e. they twist onto a female SMA or RP-SMA connector that feature their threads on the\u00a0outside<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0of the shell. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can never mix and match SMA and RP-SMA connectors because the pins and sockets will never actually make contact and allow the signal to pass thru.  At Amphenol Cables on Demand (http:\/\/www.CablesOnDemand.com<\/a>), we will soon be offering a complete selection of Reverse Polarity SMA (RP-SMA) and Reverse Polarity TNC (RP-TNC) Coaxial Cable Assemblies for use with your WiFi equipment.  Not sure which type you need?  If the RP-SMA does not look familiar, below is a comparison of a TNC and Reverse Polarity TNC (RP-TNC) connector for your reference: <\/p>\n\n\n

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(Pictured: RP-TNC on Left & TNC on Right)<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

View our selection of RP-SMA and RP-TNC cables at the links below:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Reverse<\/figure>\n\n\n\n