SMA and RP-SMA connectors are very similar and often cause confusion. SMA stands for ‘SubMiniature Version A’ and is an RF connector used on high frequency systems. It is considered to be a robust connection due to the thread coupling and the excellent grounding provided.
The RP stands for ‘Reverse Polarity’, meaning that the centre pin is moved to the female connector. SMA and RP-SMA connectors are not compatible for use together, they will either not couple or leave an air gap, depending on which combination is used.
RP-SMA connectors are typically used for Wi-Fi antennas and some LoRa antennas. Whereas, SMA connectors are normally used for most other RF applications such as 4G/5G and GPS antennas.
If you have an antenna with an incorrect connector, adapters can be purchased. However, there is always a small performance loss whenever a connector/adapter is used.
Our range of adapters can be found here https://unitecom.co.uk/product-category/adapters
