Waveguide Properties




variables used in the following equations






formulas to calculate waveguide wavelength, cutoff wavelength and attenuation. note: formulas only apply for dominant mode




attenuation factors of waveguides made from different material normalized to a waveguide (of same size) made of copper.


notes:

  • maximum peak power is limited by voltage arc threshold (30 kV/cm in dry air), usually the safety factor is two
  • maximum cw power is limited by waveguide heating due to losses in the waveguide walls
  • rectangular waveguides have the greatest usably frequency range, followed by square, then round guides

    • EIA-Designator DOD-Designator 53-IEC Designator JAN-Designator UK-Designator Material Inside-Dimension (inch)/(mm) Tolerance +/- (inch)/(mm) Wall Thickness (inch)/(mm) TE10 Frequency Range (GHz) Standard TE10 Frequency Range (GHz) calculated TE10 Cutoff Wavelength (mm) TE10 Cutoff Frequency (GHz) TE20 Cutoff Frequency (GHz) Loss dB/100m low/high edge Theoretical maximum Peak Power (MW) Theoretical maximum CW Power (kW)
    WR-2300           23x11.5/584.2x291.1   0.188/4.77 0.32-0.49 0.33-0.46 1171.9 0.26 0.51   510 - 727  
    WR-2100           21x10.5/533.4x266.7   0.188/4.77 0.35-0.53 0.36-0.51 1067.6 0.28 0.56      
    WR-1800   R5 201/U WG1 Alu 18x9/457.2x228.6 0.02/0.51 0.188/4.77 0.41-0.625 0.43-0.59 914.6 0.33 0.66   313 - 435  
    WR-1500   R6 202/U WG2 Alu 15x7.5/381x190.5 0.015/0.38 0.125/3.18 0.49-0.75 0.51-0.70 763.4 0.39 0.79      
    WR-1150   R8 203/U WG3 Alu 11.5x5.75/292.1x146.05 0.015/0.38 0.125/3.18 0.64-0.96 0.66-0.92 584.8 0.51 1.03   128 - 180  
    WR-975   R9 204/U WG4 Alu 9.75x4.875/247.65x123.8   0.125/3.18 0.75-1.12 0.66-1.09 495.9 0.61 1.21      
    WR-770   R12 205/U WG5 Alu 7.7x3.85/195.6x97.8   0.125/3.18 0.96-1.45 0.66-1.38 391.6 0.77 1.53   57.5/81.5  
    WR-650 M85/1-017 R14 69/U WG6 Brass 6.5x3.25/165.1x82.55 0.008/0.20 0.08/2.03 1.12-1.70 0.66-1.63 330.4 0.91 1.82 1.036/0.685 41.3/59.7 80.5/122
      M85/1-018   103/U   Alu         0.895/0.59   88.5/136
    WR-510 M85/1-023 R18 337/U WG7 Brass 5.1x2.55/129.5x64.7 0.008/0.20 0.08/2.03 1.45-2.20 1.51-2.08 259.1 1.15 2.31 1.44/0.98 26.2/37.0 47.9/70.4
      M85/1-025   338/U   Alu         1.25/0.846   53.2/78.3
    WR-430 M85/1-029 R22 105/U WG8 Alu 4.3x2.15/109.2x54.61 0.008/0.20 0.08/2.03 1.70-2.60 1.79-2.48 218.4 1.38 2.75 1.65/1.09 18.2/26.3 35.3/53.1
      M85/1-031   104/U   Brass         1.91/1.27   31.7/47.7
    WR-340 M85/1-035 R26 113/U WG9A Alu 3.4x1.7/86.36x43.18 0.006/0.15 0.08/2.03 2.20-3.30 2.26-3.13 172.7 1.74 3.47 2.24/1.55 11.9/16.4 21.7/31.3
      M85/1-037   112/U   Brass         2.59/1.80   19.5/28.1
    WR-284 M85/1-041 R32 75/U WG10 Alu 2.84x1.34/72.14x34.04 0.006/0.15 0.08/2.03 2.60-3.95 2.7-3.74 144.3 2.08 4.16 3.11/2.13 7.65/10.9 13.4/19.6
      M85/1-043   48/U   Brass         3.61/2.47   12.1/17.6
    WR-229 M85/1-047 R40 341/U WG11A Alu 2.29x1.145/58.16x29.08 0.006/0.15 0.064/1.63 3.30-4.90 3.3-4.64 116.3 2.58 5.16 3.97/2.81 5.48/7.55 8.99/12.7
      M85/1-049   340/U   Brass         4.59/3.27   8.08/11.4
    WR-187 M85/1-053 R48 95/U WG12 Alu 1.872x0.872/47.55x22.15 0.005/0.13 0.064/1.63 3.95-5.85 4.1-5.68 95.1 3.16 6.31 5.87/4.07 3.30/4.70 5.17/7.45
      M85/1-055   49/U   Brass         6.79/4.72   4.64/6.69
    WR-159 M85/1-059 R58 344/U WG13 Alu 1.59x0.795/40.39x20.19 0.005/0.13 0.064/1.63 4.90-7.05 4.8-6.69 80.77 3.71 7.43 6.52/4.88 2.79/3.72 4.20/5.62
      M85/1-061   343/U   Brass         7.57/5.64   3.77/5.05
    WR-137 M85/1-065 R70 106/U WG14 Alu 1.372x0.622/34.85x15.8 0.004/0.1 0.064/1.63 5.85-8.20 5.6-7.75 69.7 4.30 8.61 8.29/6.56 1.98/2.53 2.90/3.67
      M85/1-067   50/U   Brass         9.64/7.61   2.60/3.29
    WR-112 M85/1-071 R84 68/U WG15 Alu 1.122x0.497/28.5x12.62 0.004/0.1 0.064/1.63 7.05-10.0 6.8-9.47 57 5.26 10.53 11.64/9.05 1.28/1.70 1.79/2.30
      M85/1-073   51/U   Brass         13.47/10.49   1.61/2.07
    WR-90 M85/1-077 R100 67/U WG16 Alu 0.9x0.4/22.86x10.16 0.004/0.1 0.05/1.27 8.20-12.4 8.5-11.81 45.72 6.56 13.12 18.16/12.56 0.758/1.12 0.959/1.39
      M85/1-079   52/U   Brass         21.05/14.59   0.862/1.25
    WR-75 M85/1-083 R120 347/U WG17 Alu 0.75x0.375/19.05x9.53 0.003/0.08 0.05/1.27 10.0-15.0 10.2-14.17 38.1 7.87 15.75 21.47/15.02 0.622/0.903 0.737/1.06
      M85/1-085   346/U   Brass         24.92/17.41   0.662/0.948
    WR-62 M85/1-089 R140 91/U WG18 Brass 0.622x0.311/15.8x7.9 0.0025/0.06 0.04/1.02 12.4-18.0 12.3-17.09 31.6 9.49 18.99 31.41/23.08 0.457/0.633 0.451/0.614
      M85/1-090   349/U   Alu         27.08/19.90   0.502/0.683
      M85/1-093   107/U   SC         22.66/16.66   0.602/0.818
    WR-51 M85/1-096 R180 353/U WG19 Brass 0.51x0.255/12.95x6.48 0.0025/0.06 0.04/1.02 15.0-22.0 15.1-20.8 25.91 11.58 23.16 42.95/31.08 0.312/0.433 0.290/0.400
      M85/1-097   351/U   Alu     37.05/26.79   0.323/0.445
    WR-42 M85/1-102 R220 53/U WG20 Brass 0.42x0.17/10.67x4.32 0.002/0.05 0.04/1.02 18.0-26.5 18.3-25.3 21.34 14.06 28.12 67.21/49.18 0.171/0.246 0.157/0.213
      M85/1-103   121/U   Alu     58.03/42.62   0.174/0.237
      M85/1-106   66/U   SC     48.52/35.74   0.209/0.284
    WR-34 M85/1-109 R260 354/U WG21 Brass 0.37x0.17/8.64x4.32 0.002/0.05 0.04/1.02 22.0-33.0 22.0-31.3 17.27 17.37 34.74 81.97/57.05 0.139/0.209 0.118/0.169
      M85/1-110   355/U   Alu     70.82/49.18   0.131/0.188
      M85/1-113   357/U   SC     53.11/37.05   0.175/0.252
    WR-28 M85/1-114 R320 96/U WG22 S 0.28x0.14/7.11x3.56 0.0015/0.04 0.04/1.02 26.5-40.0 27.4-38.0 14.22 21.10 42.20 80.6/55.1 0.096/0.146 0.212/0.310
      M85/1-117   271/U   SC     72.1/49.5   0.242/0.347
    WR-22 M85/1-118 R400 97/U WG23 S 0.224x0.112/5.69x2.84 0.0015/0.04 0.04/1.02 33.0-50.0 34-47.5 11.38 26.36 52.72 113/77 0.064/0.097 0.134/0.197
      M85/1-121   272/U   SC     102/69.2   0.149/0.219
    WR-19 M85/1-124 R500 358/U WG24 SC 0.188x0.094/4.78x2.39 0.001/0.03 0.04/1.02 40.0-60.0 41-56.5 9.55 31.41 62.82 124.6/89.5 0.048/0.070 0.111/0.155
    WR-15 M85/1-125 R620 98/U WG25 S 0.148x0.074/3.76x1.88 0.001/0.03 0.04/1.02 50.0-75.0 52- 7.52 39.90 79.80 210/144 0.030/0.044 0.052/0.077
      M85/1-128   273/U   SC     189/129   0.058/0.085
    WR-12 M85/1-129 R740 99/U WG26 S 0.122x0.061/3.1x1.55 0.0005/0.01 0.04/1.02 60.0-90.0 63-98 6.2 48.40 96.80 288/193 0.020/0.030 0.047/0.067
      M85/1-132   274/U   SC     258/173   0.049/0.074
    WR-10 M85/1-135 R900 359/U WG27 SC 0.1x0.05/2.54x1.27 0.0005/0.01 0.04/1.02 75.0-110.0 77-119 5.08 59.06 118.12 331/233 0.014/0.020 0.032/0.045
    WR-8 M85/1-138 R1200 278/U WG28 SC 0.08x0.04/2.03x1.02 0.0003/0.01 0.02/0.51 90.0-140 96-149 4.06 73.82 147.64 505/324 0.009/0.013 0.015/0.024
    WR-7 M85/1-141   276/U WG29 SC 0.065x0.0325/1.65x0.83 0.00025/0.01 0.02/0.51 110-170 118-184 3.3 90.91 181.82 702/443 0.006/0.009 0.010/0.016
    WR-5 M85/1-144   275/U WG30 SC 0.051x0.0255/1.3x0.65 0.00025/0.01 0.02/0.51 140-220 151-234 2.59 115.80 231.60 1010/636 0.004/0.006 0.006/0.010
    WR-4 M85/1-147   277/U WG31 SC 0.043x0.0215/1.09x0.546 0.0002/0.01 0.02/0.51 170-260 178-278 2.18 137.60 275.20 1236/823 0.003/0.005 0.005/0.007
    WR-3 M85/1-152   139/U WG32 S 0.034x0.017/0.864x0.432 0.0002/0.01 0.02/0.51 220-325 226-351 1.73 173.40 346.80 1680/1120 0.0004/0.0005 0.005/0.008
      very good for amateur radio use
      good for amateur radio use
      can be used, but already high attenuation

    Formulas are taken from Jasik`s "Antenna Engineering Handbook" and ´"Handbuch für Hochfrequenz- und Elektrotechniker". The table is done with Excel,
    thats why the source-code is very blown up, it may take some time to load (on slow PC). Table data is collected from various sources in books and internet,
    if someone has information to fill the blanks please let me know.