Recently, Huawei announced that it has licensed the MQ4/MQ5 RF cluster connector patents to a few mainstream connector manufacturers in China. Kingsignal, as a cooperative manufacturer that has been deeply involved since the beginning of the development of MQ series connectors by Huawei, through the "Design In" service, as the first batch of cooperative units, they successfully obtained relevant patent authorizations and jointly promoted the large-scale commercial use of RF cluster connectors with Huawei.

Picture from Huawei official website

The connector can be visually understood as a bridge to transmit signals and energy, and has important applications in communications, automobiles and other industries. The RF cluster connector contains multiple RF ports in one connector, so that the antenna can provide more ports without increasing the size.

With the continuous development of mobile networks, operators are increasingly demanding highly integrated antennas, leading to a substantial increase in the number of antennas and ports on radio frequency equipment. Although smaller antennas are easier to deploy, the smaller size makes it difficult to increase the number of antenna ports. How to achieve more ports under the trend of antenna miniaturization and integration has become an urgent problem in the communications industry.

In order to meet this challenge, the Next Generation Mobile Network (NGMN) Alliance has launched a cluster connector program. The NGMN Alliance is an alliance involving mainstream domestic and foreign operators, equipment vendors, antenna manufacturers, scientific research institutes and professional colleges. It is used to promote the standardization and implementability of next-generation network technologies, and jointly create a market-oriented, win-win industry chain.

The cluster connector plan initiated by the NGMN Alliance and recommended Huawei's MQ4/MQ5 RF cluster connector as the industry standard for early 5G deployment on August 27, 2019. The use of radio frequency cluster connectors can replace existing multi-faceted antennas with antennas with more ports on one side. While reducing the number of antennas on the tower, it fulfills the long-term coexistence requirements of 3G/4G and 5G networks in 5G network construction. This will promote the large-scale commercial use of standard RF cluster connectors, and promote the development of miniaturized and highly integrated base station antennas and RF equipment.

At the 83rd IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission, also known as International Electrotechnical Commission) conference in 2019. The proposal of "Detailed Specification for Multi-channel Cable Components for MQ4/MQ5 Connectors" jointly participated by Kingsignal has successfully entered the project approval stage, and will further guide the large-scale commercial use of RF cluster components.

In fact, since 2016, Huawei began to develop multi-channel RF cluster connectors. Kingsignal, as the first few partners, has conducted in-depth research and development cooperation with Huawei to jointly launch MQ series connector related standards. Since then, based on the original "threaded" cluster connector, Kingsignal and Huawei have jointly developed a "quick-plug" cluster connector, which can simplify installation and further reduce the operating cost of base station construction compared to the original product.

In response to the patent authorization of the RF cluster connector, Huawei said it looks forward to working with industry partners to accelerate the deployment of 5G networks by promoting the miniaturization of RF equipment and the high integration of antennas and base stations. Kingsignal-the innovator of signal connection technology, will continue to develop and deploy next-generation communication technologies through the "Design In" model with partners, and continue to create value for customers through the innovation of signal interconnection products within and between core devices.

It is reported that the value of the connector in the communication equipment accounts for about 3 to 5%, and the value in some large communication equipment accounts for more than 10%. The global market scale exceeds 60 billion U.S. dollars, and the Chinese market accounts for more than 25%. Especially the MQ series connector, because it meets the characteristics of future antenna miniaturization and high integration, and easy installation, the future market space will further increase.

At present, the global connector market and standard formulation are basically monopolized by foreign-funded industries. The 5G board-to-board connector independently developed by Kingsignal is also a rare connector product with comprehensive independent intellectual property rights in China. This time Huawei has promoted the authorization of the RF cluster connector standard, which shows that while promoting the development of the 5G industry, Huawei has continuously accelerated the domestic substitution of related products. Through independent innovation of standard solutions, we will make every effort to promote independent and controllable steps, choose to embrace domestic connector companies with technological advantages, and further promote the development of China's connector industry.