CA-19 · I-PEX / IPEX Cable Assemblies

I-PEX
Micro-Coax & FPC.

I-PEX (IPEX) MHF, MHF I-IV, CABLINE-CA II, CABLINE-VS, CABLINE-UM micro-coaxial cable assemblies and high-speed FPC harnesses for smartphones, AR / VR headsets, drones, automotive ADAS, and industrial machine vision. AWG #36-#44 micro-coax assemblies built on calibrated I-PEX-spec tooling with 30× microscope inspection per ferrule.

Submit RFQ ← All Cable Assembly

[CA / IPEX]

ConductorAWG #36-#44

Inspection30× microscope

FrequencyUp to 6 GHz

Inspection100% electrical test

Procurement Friction · WHERE_IT_SLIPS

Where most i-pex programs slip.

PAIN-0101

MHF I vs MHF4 confusion

Customer specs MHF (I-PEX 20279) but supplier ships MHF4 (20449) — mechanically similar but different fit, MHF and MHF4 are not intermateable.

PAIN-0202

CABLINE-VS impedance discontinuity

AWG #40 CABLINE-VS micro-coax built with over-stripped dielectric — impedance reads outside 50 Ω spec, signal integrity collapses at 3+ Gbps.

PAIN-0303

Fine-pitch contact bridge

I-PEX 0.4 mm pitch FPC connector hand-soldered with non-temperature-controlled iron — adjacent pads bridge, AOI catches but the build is scrapped.

PAIN-0404

Bend radius violation at ferrule exit

Micro-coax routed with sharp bend below 5 mm radius at ferrule — copper conductor fractures intermittently after 100 thermal cycles.

Capability Stack · WHY_VEINWIRE

Where we move the dial.

F-0101

I-PEX micro-coax library

MHF (20279), MHF I (20278), MHF II (20279-001), MHF III (20448), MHF4 (20449), CABLINE-CA II, CABLINE-VS, CABLINE-UM in stock through I-PEX authorized distribution.

F-0202

AWG #36-#44 capability

Micro-coax conductor AWG #36 to AWG #44 termination on calibrated I-PEX application tooling with 30× microscope inspection.

F-0303

Impedance verification per BOM line

TDR sweep on Tektronix DSA8300 on first article each new SKU. 50 Ω ±5 Ω hold spec on standard CABLINE.

F-0404

FPC ZIF capability

I-PEX 0.4 / 0.5 mm pitch FPC ZIF connectors terminated on calibrated press tooling with contact-side intake verification.

F-0505

Bend-radius engineering

Micro-coax bend radius reviewed at DFM against I-PEX application sheet. Stiffener / reinforcement applied at ferrule exit by default.

F-0606

30× microscope inspection

Per-ferrule inspection under 30× microscope on first article. Impedance and visual record attached per ferrule.

Spec Table · TECH_PARAMS

Build envelope.

MHF families	MHF (20279, 50 Ω, DC-6 GHz), MHF I (20278), MHF II, MHF III, MHF4 (20449).
CABLINE families	CABLINE-CA II (high-density board-to-cable), CABLINE-VS (very small), CABLINE-UM (ultra-mini).
Conductor AWG	AWG #36, #38, #40, #42, #44 micro-coax.
Impedance	50 Ω ±5 Ω (standard), 75 Ω on selected CABLINE variants.
Frequency range	DC to 6 GHz on MHF / MHF4. Higher-frequency variants on CABLINE-VS up to 8 GHz.
FPC pitch	0.30 / 0.40 / 0.50 / 0.80 mm pitch ZIF FPC termination.
Mating cycle	30 cycles (MHF), 50 cycles (CABLINE).
Temperature	-25°C to +85°C standard. -40°C to +105°C with high-temp dielectric variants.
Workmanship	IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 default on micro-coax. ISO 13485 lot traceability on medical.
Lead time	Prototype 96-120 h on stocked MHF / CABLINE families. Production 1,000-50,000 units 14-21 business days.

Fab Protocol · BUILD_PIPELINE

From PO to ship.

PR-0101

I-PEX part-family verification

MHF generation (MHF / I / II / III / 4) verified against host antenna or board datasheet. Cross-family substitution kicked back at intake.

PR-0202

Cable + impedance review

AWG and CABLINE variant matched to impedance target. TDR target reviewed against host SerDes datasheet.

PR-0303

Strip + ferrule termination

Pneumatic strip with mechanical stop to I-PEX dielectric strip dimension. Ferrule termination per I-PEX application sheet.

PR-0404

30× microscope inspection

Per-ferrule inspection on first article. Brush, bell-mouth, dielectric concentricity verified under 30× microscope.

PR-0505

TDR + electrical test

Tektronix DSA8300 TDR per BOM line. 100% CIRRIS continuity, isolation. Impedance trace attached per ferrule.

PR-0606

QA + ship

Visual on ferrule body, bend-radius reinforcement, FPC stiffener. AQL 1.0 production sample retest. Lot release signed, ship.

Use Cases · APPLICATIONS

Where this ships.

Smartphone / IoT antenna leads

MHF / MHF4 micro-coax assemblies from board antenna to Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / cellular front-end module.

AR / VR headset internals

Sub-3 mm OD CABLINE-VS micro-coax + FPC hybrids for display, IMU, and inertial sensor cabling in head-mounted devices.

Drone / UAV avionics

MHF / MHF4 GNSS antenna and telemetry antenna leads in commercial and professional drone airframes.

Automotive ADAS imaging

CABLINE-CA II and CABLINE-VS micro-coax for in-cabin sensor and ADAS internal interconnect.

Machine vision sensor PCB

AWG #40 CABLINE-VS micro-coax for MIPI / CSI-2 imaging sensor PCB to host FPGA SoM on machine vision benches.

Medical imaging endoscope

AWG #44 micro-coax assemblies inside surgical endoscope shafts for imaging sensor data return with ISO 13485 traceability.

Field Cases · ANONYMIZED CUSTOMER DELIVERIES

Real programs, real numbers.

Customer names redacted; specifications, volumes, and outcomes are preserved as delivered.

Imaging OEM·Europe·Representative program

An imaging OEM experienced a critical production halt due to high impedance defects on AWG #40 micro-coax assemblies for a beta production series.

Challenge: A significant share of an AWG #40 micro-coax 1:1 assembly lot failed due to high impedance — order cancellation risk, refund demand, major trust deficit on an imaging OEM program.
Solution: Halted production immediately and conducted joint technical analysis with the customer's engineering team to identify the root cause — specification definition and testing-method mismatch between the customer's RF lab and our incoming impedance verification. Updated test specifications, provided new test reports, manufactured replacement samples on the corrected procedure, and processed a full replacement order for the defective lot.
Result: Successfully resolved the quality complaint, secured a full replacement order for the defective lot, and maintained the long-term partnership. The corrected impedance verification procedure is now applied to every micro-coax build by default.

Verified specs

AWG #40 conductor
micro-coax 1:1
impedance-driven failure
full lot replacement
0 RMA in subsequent year

I-PEX micro-coax is unforgiving — at AWG #40 conductor on a CABLINE-VS, a 0.05 mm over-strip in the dielectric pushes the impedance 5 Ω off spec and the entire lot is unfit for a 3+ Gbps SerDes. The discipline that prevents the failure is mechanical-stopped pneumatic strip plus per-ferrule TDR on first article. We learned this the expensive way on a micro-coax impedance recovery program. Since then every CABLINE build gets the TDR sweep before the lot is allowed to move.

Tori YangSales Manager · VeinWireLinkedIn →

FAQ · SPEC_QUERIES

Procurement questions.

What is the difference between MHF, MHF I, MHF II, MHF III, MHF4?+

MHF (20279) is the original I-PEX micro RF series. MHF I (20278) is the receptacle variant, MHF II / III are intermediate generations with revised mating geometry, and MHF4 (20449) is the latest with reduced size and improved mating cycle. They are NOT all intermateable — MHF and MHF4 do not mate to each other. Operator pulls by full I-PEX part number.

Can you build AWG #44 micro-coax for surgical endoscopes?+

Yes — AWG #44 micro-coax assemblies on I-PEX CABLINE-UM and CABLINE-VS ultra-mini for medical endoscope and minimally-invasive surgical instrument applications. ISO 13485 lot traceability, autoclave-compatible jacket option, NDA-first engagement standard.

Will you do TDR impedance verification on every BOM line?+

Yes — Tektronix DSA8300 TDR sweep on first article each new BOM line, with the impedance trace attached per ferrule. 50 Ω ±5 Ω hold spec on standard CABLINE / MHF. This is now standard procedure following a micro-coax impedance recovery program.

Do you build I-PEX FPC ZIF assemblies?+

Yes — I-PEX FPC ZIF connectors at 0.30 / 0.40 / 0.50 / 0.80 mm pitch terminated on calibrated press tooling. Contact-side intake verification (contacts-up vs contacts-down) on every FPC at the stocking bin.

What is the minimum order for an I-PEX micro-coax prototype?+

1 unit — but I-PEX micro-coax is typically a high-volume application. Single-unit prototypes priced at ~ 3× volume rate (premium over typical 2.5× because micro-coax setup time is higher than standard wire harness).

Sibling specs

Industries served

Capability deep-dives

Engage · RFQ_INTAKE

Quote your i-pex program.

Drop drawings, BOM, or rough concept. Engineering reviews within 4 business hours. NDA available on request.

Back to Cable Assembly hub

Engage · CTA_002

Quote your I-PEX micro-coax program.

Send I-PEX part number (MHF / CABLINE variant), AWG, length, impedance target. TDR feasibility back within 4 business hours. Response within 4 business hours. No obligation. Drawings stay under NDA.

Request Free Quote Contact an Engineer

sales@oemcableassembly.com WhatsApp +8617692996966

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I-PEX
Micro-Coax & FPC.

MHF families

MHF (20279, 50 Ω, DC-6 GHz), MHF I (20278), MHF II, MHF III, MHF4 (20449).

CABLINE families

CABLINE-CA II (high-density board-to-cable), CABLINE-VS (very small), CABLINE-UM (ultra-mini).

Conductor AWG

AWG #36, #38, #40, #42, #44 micro-coax.

Impedance

50 Ω ±5 Ω (standard), 75 Ω on selected CABLINE variants.

Frequency range

DC to 6 GHz on MHF / MHF4. Higher-frequency variants on CABLINE-VS up to 8 GHz.

FPC pitch

0.30 / 0.40 / 0.50 / 0.80 mm pitch ZIF FPC termination.

Mating cycle

30 cycles (MHF), 50 cycles (CABLINE).

Temperature

-25°C to +85°C standard. -40°C to +105°C with high-temp dielectric variants.

Workmanship

IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 default on micro-coax. ISO 13485 lot traceability on medical.

Lead time

Prototype 96-120 h on stocked MHF / CABLINE families. Production 1,000-50,000 units 14-21 business days.

I-PEX Micro-Coax & FPC.

Where most i-pex programs slip.

MHF I vs MHF4 confusion

CABLINE-VS impedance discontinuity

Fine-pitch contact bridge

Bend radius violation at ferrule exit

Where we move the dial.

I-PEX micro-coax library

AWG #36-#44 capability

Impedance verification per BOM line

FPC ZIF capability

Bend-radius engineering

30× microscope inspection

Build envelope.

From PO to ship.

I-PEX part-family verification

Cable + impedance review

Strip + ferrule termination

30× microscope inspection

TDR + electrical test

QA + ship

Where this ships.

Smartphone / IoT antenna leads

AR / VR headset internals

Drone / UAV avionics

Automotive ADAS imaging

Machine vision sensor PCB

Medical imaging endoscope

Real programs, real numbers.

Procurement questions.

Quote your i-pex program.

Initialize project.

Quote your I-PEX micro-coax program.

I-PEX Micro-Coax & FPC.

Where most i-pex programs slip.

MHF I vs MHF4 confusion

CABLINE-VS impedance discontinuity

Fine-pitch contact bridge

Bend radius violation at ferrule exit

Where we move the dial.

I-PEX micro-coax library

AWG #36-#44 capability

Impedance verification per BOM line

FPC ZIF capability

Bend-radius engineering

30× microscope inspection

Build envelope.

From PO to ship.

I-PEX part-family verification

Cable + impedance review

Strip + ferrule termination

30× microscope inspection

TDR + electrical test

QA + ship

Where this ships.

Smartphone / IoT antenna leads

AR / VR headset internals

Drone / UAV avionics

Automotive ADAS imaging

Machine vision sensor PCB

Medical imaging endoscope

Real programs, real numbers.

Procurement questions.

Quote your i-pex program.

Initialize project.

Quote your I-PEX micro-coax program.

I-PEX
Micro-Coax & FPC.

I-PEX
Micro-Coax & FPC.