IEC 60153-2:2025
(Main)Hollow metallic waveguides - Part 2: Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
Hollow metallic waveguides - Part 2: Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
IEC 60153-2:2025 specifies straight hollow metallic tubing of ordinary rectangular cross-section for use as waveguides in radio frequency electrical applications.
The term "ordinary rectangular waveguide" in the title of this document refers to rectangular waveguides with a b-to-a ratio of 0,5 (or slightly less).
The objective of this document is to specify for hollow metallic waveguides:
a) the details necessary to ensure compatibility and, as far as is essential, interchangeability;
b) test methods;
c) uniform requirements for the electrical and mechanical properties.
This document does not contain any binding specifications for the materials to be used, but merely examples. The exact selection of materials is subject to agreement between the customer and the supplier.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2016. This edition constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
a) addition of a cross-sectional view of the waveguide;
b) addition of informative content on the theoretical background of the standard;
c) use of a lower case "k" in the waveguide designation, where appropriate;
d) revision of main specification table (now Table 1):
1) two waveguides moved to the end of the table (R 35, R 41);
2) correction of one waveguide designation (now R 26k);
3) correction of one waveguide outside width (R 18);
4) relaxation of tolerances of waveguide outside dimensions (R 14 to R 70);
5) removed attenuation values of waveguides made of gold, aluminium, and stainless steel;
6) implementation of attenuation values for an idealised copper waveguide;
e) relaxation of tolerances of waveguide outside dimensions for R 14 to R 70 in the table now referred to as Table 4;
f) clarification of the electrical tests:
1) use of standard annealed copper as the reference material for waveguide tubes;
2) correction of the formula for calculating the theoretical attenuation of an idealised copper waveguide;
3) addition of a formula for calculating the theoretical attenuation of waveguides made of any material;
4) addition of an informative table with typical waveguide materials (Table 5);
g) addition of an informative cross-reference for waveguide type designations (Annex A).
Guides d'ondes métalliques creux - Partie 2: Spécifications applicables relatives aux guides d'ondes rectangulaires ordinaires
L’IEC 60153-2:2025 spécifie des tubes métalliques creux droits de section rectangulaire ordinaire, destinés à être utilisés comme guides d’ondes dans les applications électriques radiofréquences.
Le terme "guide d’ondes rectangulaire ordinaire", dans le titre du présent document, fait référence aux guides d’ondes rectangulaires présentant un rapport entre les dimensions b et a (rapport b/a) de 0,5 (ou légèrement moins).
Le présent document a pour objet de spécifier, pour les guides d’ondes métalliques creux:
a) les détails nécessaires pour assurer la compatibilité et, dès lors que c’est essentiel, l’interchangeabilité;
b) les méthodes d’essai;
c) des exigences uniformes pour les propriétés électriques et mécaniques.
Le présent document ne contient aucune spécification contraignante concernant les matériaux à utiliser, mais uniquement des exemples. Le choix précis des matériaux est soumis à un accord entre le client et le fournisseur.
Cette quatrième édition annule et remplace la troisième édition parue en 2016. Cette édition constitue une révision technique.
Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l’édition précédente:
a) ajout d’une vue en coupe du guide d’ondes;
b) ajout de contenu informatif sur le contexte théorique de la norme;
c) utilisation d’un "k" minuscule dans la désignation de guide d’ondes, le cas échéant;
d) révision du tableau des spécifications principales (désormais le Tableau 1):
1) déplacement de deux guides d’ondes (R 35, R 41) en fin de tableau;
2) correction d’une désignation de guide d’ondes (désormais R 26k);
3) correction d’une largeur extérieure de guide d’onde (R 18);
4) adoucissement des tolérances pour les dimensions extérieures des guides d’ondes (R 14 à R 70);
5) suppression des valeurs d’affaiblissement des guides d’ondes en or, en aluminium et en acier inoxydable;
6) mise en œuvre de valeurs d’affaiblissement correspondant à un guide d’ondes parfait en cuivre;
e) adoucissement des tolérances pour les dimensions extérieures des guides d’ondes R 14 à R 70, dans le tableau désormais désigné comme étant le Tableau 4;
f) clarification des essais électriques:
1) utilisation de cuivre type recuit comme matériau de référence pour les tubes de guides d’ondes;
2) correction de la formule permettant de calculer l’affaiblissement linéique théorique d’un guide d’ondes parfait en cuivre;
3) ajout d’une formule pour le calcul de l’affaiblissement linéique théorique des guides d’ondes, quel que soit leur matériau constitutif;
4) ajout d’un tableau informatif donnant les matériaux typiques des guides d’ondes (Tableau 5);
g) ajout d’une référence croisée informative pour les désignations de type des guides d’ondes (Annexe A).
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
IEC 60153-2 ®
Edition 4.0 2025-11
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Hollow metallic waveguides -
Part 2: Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
ICS 33.120.10 ISBN 978-2-8327-0852-1
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either
IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC copyright
or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or your local
IEC member National Committee for further information.
IEC Secretariat Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.
About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigendum or an amendment might have been published.
IEC publications search - IEC Products & Services Portal - products.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Discover our powerful search engine and read freely all the
publications previews, graphical symbols and the glossary.
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical With a subscription you will always have access to up to date
committee, …). It also gives information on projects, content tailored to your needs.
replaced and withdrawn publications.
Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
The world's leading online dictionary on electrotechnology,
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published containing more than 22 500 terminological entries in English
details all new publications released. Available online and and French, with equivalent terms in 25 additional languages.
once a month by email. Also known as the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary
(IEV) online.
IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
need further assistance, please contact the Customer
Service Centre: sales@iec.ch.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD. 2
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 General . 5
4.1 Overview . 5
4.2 Standardised types . 5
4.3 Type designation . 7
4.4 Frequencies . 7
4.4.1 Cut-off frequency . 7
4.4.2 Operating frequency range . 8
4.4.3 Centre frequency . 8
5 Mechanical requirements . 8
5.1 Material . 8
5.2 Dimensions . 8
5.2.1 Inside dimensions . 8
5.2.2 Wall thickness . 9
5.2.3 Eccentricity . 10
5.2.4 Outside dimensions . 10
5.2.5 Rectangularity of cross-section . 10
5.3 Other mechanical requirements . 11
5.3.1 Curvature . 11
5.3.2 Twist. 11
5.3.3 Surface roughness . 12
5.3.4 Internal stresses . 12
6 Electrical tests – Attenuation coefficient . 12
6.1 Theoretical attenuation coefficient . 12
6.2 Practical waveguides . 13
6.3 Attenuation test for quality inspection . 14
7 Additional tests – Pressure sealing . 14
Annex A (informative) Waveguide type designation schemes of various waveguide
standards . 15
Bibliography . 17
Figure 1 – Cross-sectional view of ordinary rectangular waveguide tubing . 4
Table 1 – Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides. 6
Table 2 – Tolerances of inside dimensions . 9
Table 3 – Inside corner radius . 9
Table 4 – Tolerances of outside dimensions . 10
Table 5 – Typical bulk materials for waveguide tubes . 13
Table A.1 – Cross-reference for ordinary rectangular waveguides with equal apertures . 15
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
Hollow metallic waveguides -
Part 2: Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). IEC takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in
respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, IEC had not received notice of (a) patent(s), which
may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent
the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at https://patents.iec.ch. IEC
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 60153-2 has been prepared by subcommittee 46F: RF and microwave passive components,
of IEC technical committee 46: Cables, wires, waveguides, RF connectors, RF and microwave
passive components and accessories. It is an International Standard.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2016. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) addition of a cross-sectional view of the waveguide;
b) addition of informative content on the theoretical background of the standard;
c) use of a lower case "k" in the waveguide designation, where appropriate;
d) revision of main specification table (now Table 1):
1) two waveguides moved to the end of the table (R 35, R 41);
2) correction of one waveguide designation (now R 26k);
3) correction of one waveguide outside width (R 18);
4) relaxation of tolerances of waveguide outside dimensions (R 14 to R 70);
5) removed attenuation values of waveguides made of gold, aluminium, and stainless steel;
6) implementation of attenuation values for an idealised copper waveguide;
e) relaxation of tolerances of waveguide outside dimensions for R 14 to R 70 in the table now
referred to as Table 4;
f) clarification of the electrical tests:
1) use of standard annealed copper as the reference material for waveguide tubes;
2) correction of the formula for calculating the theoretical attenuation of an idealised copper
waveguide;
3) addition of a formula for calculating the theoretical attenuation of waveguides made of
any material;
4) addition of an informative table with typical waveguide materials (Table 5);
g) addition of an informative cross-reference for waveguide type designations (Annex A).
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
46F/724/FDIS 46F/732/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
A list of all parts of the IEC 60153 series, published under the general title Hollow metallic
waveguides, can be found on the IEC website at webstore.iec.ch.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
– reconfirmed,
– withdrawn, or
– revised.
1 Scope
This part of the IEC 60153 specifies straight hollow metallic tubing of ordinary rectangular
cross-section for use as waveguides in radio frequency electrical applications. The principal
cross-section for such tubing is shown in Figure 1 together with its defining geometrical
dimensions.
NOTE This document serves to define tubular semi-finished products that are characterised by specifying both their
inside and outside dimensions. However, in the case of particularly large and particularly small waveguides, this
document only specifies inside dimensions. This is for production-related reasons.
Key
a inside width r inside corner radius
a outside width r outside corner radius
1 1
b inside height t wall thickness
b outside height
Figure 1 – Cross-sectional view of ordinary rectangular waveguide tubing
The term "ordinary rectangular waveguide" in the title of this document refers to rectangular
waveguides with a b-to-a ratio of 0,5 (or slightly less).
The objective of this document is to specify for hollow metallic waveguides:
a) the details necessary to ensure compatibility and, as far as is essential, interchangeability;
b) test methods;
c) uniform requirements for the electrical and mechanical properties.
This document does not contain any binding specifications for the materials to be used, but
merely examples. The exact selection of materials is subject to agreement between the
customer and the supplier.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60050 (all parts), International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (available at
http://www.electropedia.org)
IEC 60153-1, Hollow metallic waveguides - Part 1: General requirements and measuring
methods
IEC 60261, Sealing test for pressurized waveguide tubing and assemblies
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in the IEC 60050 series
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardisation at the following
addresses:
– IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org
– ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/ui
4 General
4.1 Overview
IEC 60153-1, which gives general requirements and test methods, shall apply.
4.2 Standardised types
The series of ordinary rectangular waveguides covered in this document is listed in Table 1.
___________
With IEC 60153-2:2016, the series of standardised waveguides was extended to higher frequencies by
introducing eleven additional waveguide sizes. The motivation for this extension was to integrate the sub-
millimetre wavelength waveguides, newly standardised at the time in IEEE Std 1785.1TM-2012, into this
document. The extended series now covers four frequency decades, from 320 MHz to 3,3 THz. In the course of
the extension, a number of other changes also became necessary. They are mentioned informatively in the
corresponding clauses of this document.
Table 1 – Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
Frequencies Inside dimensions Wall dim. Outside dimensions Attenuation coefficient
in GHz in mm in mm in mm in dB/m
Cut-off Width Height Corner radius of an idealised copper
Operating range Width Height Tolerance Co. radius Thickness Tolerance
f a b r t a b r waveguide at f
c,1 1 1 1 centre
Theoret. Min. Max. Nom. Nom. Max. Calc. Nom. Nom. Min. Max. f Theoret. Limit
centre
± ±
value value value value value value value value value value value value value
in GHz
R 3 0,257 0,321 0,488 584,20 292,10 1,17 1,50 0,385 0,00078 0,00102
R 4 0,281 0,351 0,534 533,40 266,70 1,07 1,50 0,422 0,00090 0,00117
R 5 0,328 0,410 0,623 457,20 228,60 0,91 1,50 0,492 0,0011 0,0015
R 6 0,393 0,492 0,748 381,00 190,50 0,76 1,50 not specified 0,590 0,0015 0,0019
R 8 0,513 0,641 0,975 292,10 146,05 0,58 1,50 0,770 0,0022 0,0029
R 9 0,605 0,757 1,15 247,65 123,82 0,50 1,20 0,908 0,0028 0,0037
R 12 0,766 0,958 1,46 195,58 97,79 0,39 1,20 1,15 0,0040 0,0053
R 14 0,908 1,13 1,73 165,10 82,55 0,33 1,20 2,030 169,16 86,61 0,33 1,02 1,52 1,36 0,0052 0,0068
R 18 1,16 1,45 2,20 129,54 64,77 0,26 1,20 2,030 133,60 68,83 0,26 1,02 1,52 1,74 0,0075 0,0097
R 22 1,37 1,72 2,61 109,22 54,61 0,22 1,20 2,030 113,28 58,67 0,22 1,02 1,52 2,06 0,0097 0,0126
R 26 1,74 2,17 3,30 86,360 43,180 0,173 1,20 2,030 90,420 47,240 0,173 1,02 1,52 2,60 0,014 0,018
R 32 2,08 2,60 3,95 72,140 34,040 0,144 1,20 2,030 76,200 38,100 0,144 1,02 1,52 3,12 0,019 0,024
R 40 2,58 3,22 4,90 58,170 29,080 0,116 1,20 1,625 61,420 32,330 0,116 0,81 1,31 3,87 0,025 0,032
R 48 3,15 3,94 5,99 47,549 22,149 0,095 0,80 1,626 50,800 25,400 0,095 0,81 1,31 4,73 0,035 0,046
R 58 3,71 4,64 7,05 40,386 20,193 0,081 0,80 1,627 43,640 23,440 0,081 0,81 1,31 5,57 0,043 0,056
R 70 4,30 5,38 8,17 34,849 15,799 0,070 0,80 1,626 38,100 19,050 0,070 0,81 1,31 6,45 0,058 0,075
R 84 5,26 6,57 9,99 28,499 12,624 0,057 0,80 1,626 31,750 15,880 0,050 0,81 1,31 7,89 0,079 0,103
R 100 6,56 8,20 12,5 22,860 10,160 0,046 0,80 1,270 25,400 12,700 0,050 0,64 1,14 9,84 0,11 0,14
R 120 7,87 9,84 15,0 19,050 9,525 0,038 0,80 1,270 21,590 12,060 0,050 0,64 1,14 11,8 0,13
R 140 9,49 11,9 18,0 15,799 7,899 0,032 0,400 1,016 17,830 9,930 0,050 0,51 1,01 14,2 0,18
R 180 11,6 14,5 22,0 12,954 6,477 0,026 0,400 1,018 14,990 8,510 0,050 0,51 1,01 17,4 0,24
R 220 14,1 17,6 26,7 10,668 4,318 0,021 0,400 1,016 12,700 6,350 0,050 0,51 1,01 21,1 0,37
R 260 17,4 21,7 33,0 8,6360 4,3180 0,0173 0,4000 1,017 10,670 6,350 0,050 0,51 1,01 26,0 0,44
R 320 21,1 26,3 40,0 7,1120 3,5560 0,0142 0,4000 1,014 9,140 5,590 0,050 0,51 1,01 31,6 0,58
R 400 26,3 32,9 50,1 5,6900 2,8450 0,0114 0,3000 1,015 7,720 4,880 0,050 0,51 1,01 39,5 0,81
R 500 31,4 39,2 59,6 4,7750 2,3880 0,0096 0,3000 1,018 6,810 4,420 0,050 0,51 1,01 47,1 1,1
R 620 39,9 50 75 3,7590 1,8800 0,0188 0,2000 1,016 5,790 3,910 0,050 0,51 1,01 59,8 1,5
R 740 48,4 60 90 3,0988 1,5494 0,0155 0,1549 1,016 5,130 3,580 0,050 0,51 1,01 72,6 2,0
R 900 59,0 75 110 2,5400 1,2700 0,0127 0,1270 1,015 4,570 3,300 0,050 0,51 1,01 88,5 2,7
R 1.2k 73,8 90 140 2,0320 1,0160 0,0102 0,1016 0,762 3,556 2,540 0,025 0,38 0,88 111 3,8
R 1.4k 90,8 110 170 1,6510 0,8255 0,0083 0,0826 0,762 3,175 2,350 0,025 0,38 0,88 136 5,2
R 1.8k 116 140 220 1,2950 0,6475 0,0065 0,0648 0,762 2,819 2,172 0,025 0,38 0,88 174 7,5
R 2.2k 137 170 260 1,0920 0,5460 0,0055 0,0546 0,762 2,616 2,070 0,025 0,38 0,88 206 9,7
R 2.6k 173 220 330 0,8640 0,4320 0,0043 0,0432 0,762 2,388 1,956 0,025 0,38 0,88 260 14
R 3.2k 211 260 400 0,7100 0,3550 0,0036 0,0355 317 18
R 4k 263 330 500 0,5700 0,2850 0,0029 0,0285 394 26
R 5k 319 400 600 0,4700 0,2350 0,0047 0,0235 478 34
R 6.2k 394 500 750 0,3800 0,1900 0,0038 0,0190 592 47
R 7.4k 484 600 900 0,3100 0,1550 0,0031 0,0155 725 64
not specified
R 9k 600 750 1100 0,2500 0,1250 0,0025 0,0125 899 88
R 12k 749 900 1400 0,2000 0,1000 0,0020 0,0100 1120 124
R 14k 914 1100 1700 0,1640 0,0820 0,0016 0,0082 1370 166
R 18k 1150 1400 2200 0,1300 0,0650 0,0026 0,0065 1730 236
R 22k 1410 1700 2600 0,1060 0,0530 0,0021 0,0053 2120 320
R 26k 1740 2200 3300 0,0860 0,0430 0,0017 0,0043 2610 438
NOTE The following additional types are included due to their use in legacy telecommunications equipment.
R 35 2,26 2,82 4,29 66,370 29,500 0,133 1,20 2,000 70,370 33,500 0,066 1,00 1,50 3,39 0,022 0,029
R 41 2,63 3,29 5,00 57,000 25,330 0,114 1,20 2,000 61,000 29,330 0,057 0,80 1,30 3,94 0,028 0,036
NOTE Figure 1 is reproduced here as a legend for
the geometric quantities listed above.
Type designation
60153 IEC-
for subsequent study
4.3 Type designation
For ordinary rectangular waveguides, the type designation com
...
IEC 60153-2 ®
Edition 4.0 2025-11
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Guides d'ondes métalliques creux -
Partie 2: Spécifications applicables relatives aux guides d'ondes rectangulaires
ordinaires
ICS 33.120.10 ISBN 978-2-8327-0852-1
Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite ni
utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique, y compris la photocopie et
les microfilms, sans l'accord écrit de l'IEC ou du Comité national de l'IEC du pays du demandeur. Si vous avez des
questions sur le copyright de l'IEC ou si vous désirez obtenir des droits supplémentaires sur cette publication, utilisez
les coordonnées ci-après ou contactez le Comité national de l'IEC de votre pays de résidence.
IEC Secretariat Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
A propos de l'IEC
La Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est la première organisation mondiale qui élabore et publie des
Normes internationales pour tout ce qui a trait à l'électricité, à l'électronique et aux technologies apparentées.
A propos des publications IEC
Le contenu technique des publications IEC est constamment revu. Veuillez vous assurer que vous possédez l’édition la
plus récente, un corrigendum ou amendement peut avoir été publié.
Recherche de publications IEC - IEC Products & Services Portal - products.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Découvrez notre puissant moteur de recherche et consultez
La recherche avancée permet de trouver des publications gratuitement tous les aperçus des publications, symboles
IEC en utilisant différents critères (numéro de référence, graphiques et le glossaire. Avec un abonnement, vous aurez
texte, comité d’études, …). Elle donne aussi des toujours accès à un contenu à jour adapté à vos besoins.
informations sur les projets et les publications remplacées
ou retirées. Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
Le premier dictionnaire d'électrotechnologie en ligne au
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished monde, avec plus de 22 500 articles terminologiques en
Restez informé sur les nouvelles publications IEC. Just anglais et en français, ainsi que les termes équivalents
Published détaille les nouvelles publications parues. dans 25 langues additionnelles. Egalement appelé
Disponible en ligne et une fois par mois par email. Vocabulaire Electrotechnique International (IEV) en ligne.
Service Clients - webstore.iec.ch/csc
Si vous désirez nous donner des commentaires sur cette
publication ou si vous avez des questions contactez-
nous: sales@iec.ch.
SOMMAIRE
AVANT-PROPOS . 2
1 Domaine d’application . 5
2 Références normatives . 6
3 Termes et définitions . 6
4 Généralités . 6
4.1 Vue d’ensemble . 6
4.2 Types normalisés . 6
4.3 Désignation de type . 8
4.4 Fréquences . 8
4.4.1 Fréquence de coupure . 8
4.4.2 Plage de fréquences de fonctionnement . 9
4.4.3 Fréquence centrale . 9
5 Exigences mécaniques . 9
5.1 Matériau . 9
5.2 Dimensions . 9
5.2.1 Dimensions intérieures . 9
5.2.2 Épaisseur de paroi . 10
5.2.3 Excentricité . 11
5.2.4 Dimensions extérieures . 11
5.2.5 Rectangularité de la section . 12
5.3 Autres exigences mécaniques . 12
5.3.1 Courbure . 12
5.3.2 Torsion . 13
5.3.3 Rugosité de surface . 13
5.3.4 Contraintes internes . 13
6 Essais électriques – Affaiblissement linéique . 13
6.1 Affaiblissement linéique maximal . 13
6.2 Guides d’ondes pratiques . 14
6.3 Essai d’affaiblissement pour le contrôle de la qualité . 15
7 Essais supplémentaires – Étanchéité à la pression . 15
Annexe A (informative) Dénominations des désignations de type des guides d’ondes
selon les différentes normes relatives aux guides d’ondes . 16
Bibliographie . 18
Figure 1 – Vue en coupe de tubes de guides d’ondes rectangulaires ordinaires . 5
Tableau 1 – Spécifications applicables relatives aux guides d’ondes rectangulaires
ordinaires . 7
Tableau 2 – Tolérances pour les dimensions intérieures . 10
Tableau 3 – Rayon des coins intérieurs . 10
Tableau 4 – Tolérances pour les dimensions extérieures . 11
Tableau 5 – Matériaux bruts types pour les tubes de guides d’ondes . 15
Tableau A.1 – Références croisées pour les guides d’ondes rectangulaires ordinaires
présentant des ouvertures identiques . 16
COMMISSION ÉLECTROTECHNIQUE INTERNATIONALE
____________
Guides d’ondes métalliques creux -
Partie 2: Spécifications applicables relatives aux guides d’ondes
rectangulaires ordinaires
AVANT-PROPOS
1) La Commission Électrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est une organisation mondiale de normalisation composée
de l’ensemble des comités électrotechniques nationaux (Comités nationaux de l’IEC). L’IEC a pour objet de
favoriser la coopération internationale pour toutes les questions de normalisation dans les domaines de
l’électricité et de l’électronique. À cet effet, l’IEC – entre autres activités – publie des Normes internationales,
des Spécifications techniques, des Rapports techniques, des Spécifications accessibles au public (PAS) et des
Guides (ci-après dénommés "Publication(s) de l’IEC"). Leur élaboration est confiée à des comités d’études, aux
travaux desquels tout Comité national intéressé par le sujet traité peut participer. Les organisations
internationales, gouvernementales et non gouvernementales, en liaison avec l’IEC, participent également aux
travaux. L’IEC collabore étroitement avec l’Organisation Internationale de Normalisation (ISO), selon des
conditions fixées par accord entre les deux organisations.
2) Les décisions ou accords officiels de l’IEC concernant les questions techniques représentent, dans la mesure du
possible, un accord international sur les sujets étudiés, étant donné que les Comités nationaux de l’IEC intéressés
sont représentés dans chaque comité d’études.
3) Les Publications de l’IEC se présentent sous la forme de recommandations internationales et sont agréées
comme telles par les Comités nationaux de l’IEC. Tous les efforts raisonnables sont entrepris afin que l’IEC
s’assure de l’exactitude du contenu technique de ses publications; l’IEC ne peut pas être tenue responsable de
l’éventuelle mauvaise utilisation ou interprétation qui en est faite par un quelconque utilisateur final.
4) Dans le but d’encourager l’uniformité internationale, les Comités nationaux de l’IEC s’engagent, dans toute la
mesure possible, à appliquer de façon transparente les Publications de l’IEC dans leurs publications nationales
et régionales. Toutes divergences entre toutes Publications de l’IEC et toutes publications nationales ou
régionales correspondantes doivent être indiquées en termes clairs dans ces dernières.
5) L’IEC elle-même ne fournit aucune attestation de conformité. Des organismes de certification indépendants
fournissent des services d’évaluation de conformité et, dans certains secteurs, accèdent aux marques de
conformité de l’IEC. L’IEC n’est responsable d’aucun des services effectués par les organismes de certification
indépendants.
6) Tous les utilisateurs doivent s’assurer qu’ils sont en possession de la dernière édition de cette publication.
7) Aucune responsabilité ne doit être imputée à l’IEC, à ses administrateurs, employés, auxiliaires ou mandataires,
y compris ses experts particuliers et les membres de ses comités d’études et des Comités nationaux de l’IEC,
pour tout préjudice causé en cas de dommages corporels et matériels, ou de tout autre dommage de quelque
nature que ce soit, directe ou indirecte, ou pour supporter les coûts (y compris les frais de justice) et les dépenses
découlant de la publication ou de l’utilisation de cette Publication de l’IEC ou de toute autre Publication de l’IEC,
ou au crédit qui lui est accordé.
8) L’attention est attirée sur les références normatives citées dans cette publication. L’utilisation de publications
référencées est obligatoire pour une application correcte de la présente publication.
9) L’IEC attire l’attention sur le fait que la mise en application du présent document peut entraîner l’utilisation d’un
ou de plusieurs brevets. L’IEC ne prend pas position quant à la preuve, à la validité et à l’applicabilité de tout
droit de brevet revendiqué à cet égard. À la date de publication du présent document, l’IEC n’avait pas reçu
notification qu’un ou plusieurs brevets pouvaient être nécessaires à sa mise en application. Toutefois, il y a lieu
d’avertir les responsables de la mise en application du présent document que des informations plus récentes
sont susceptibles de figurer dans la base de données de brevets, disponible à l’adresse https://patents.iec.ch.
L’IEC ne saurait être tenue pour responsable de ne pas avoir identifié de tels droits de brevet.
L’IEC 60153-2 a été établie par le sous-comité 46F: Composants passifs pour hyperfréquences
et radio fréquences, du comité d’études 46 de l’IEC: Câbles, fils, guides d’ondes, connecteurs,
composants passifs pour micro-onde et accessoires. Il s’agit d’une Norme internationale.
Cette quatrième édition annule et remplace la troisième édition parue en 2016. Cette édition
constitue une révision technique.
Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l’édition
précédente:
a) ajout d’une vue en coupe du guide d’ondes;
b) ajout de contenu informatif sur le contexte théorique de la norme;
c) utilisation d’un "k" minuscule dans la désignation de guide d’ondes, le cas échéant;
d) révision du tableau des spécifications principales (désormais le Tableau 1):
1) déplacement de deux guides d’ondes (R 35, R 41) en fin de tableau;
2) correction d’une désignation de guide d’ondes (désormais R 26k);
3) correction d’une largeur extérieure de guide d’onde (R 18);
4) adoucissement des tolérances pour les dimensions extérieures des guides d’ondes
(R 14 à R 70);
5) suppression des valeurs d’affaiblissement des guides d’ondes en or, en aluminium et en
acier inoxydable;
6) mise en œuvre de valeurs d’affaiblissement correspondant à un guide d’ondes parfait
en cuivre;
e) adoucissement des tolérances pour les dimensions extérieures des guides d’ondes R 14 à
R 70, dans le tableau désormais désigné comme étant le Tableau 4;
f) clarification des essais électriques:
1) utilisation de cuivre type recuit comme matériau de référence pour les tubes de guides
d’ondes;
2) correction de la formule permettant de calculer l’affaiblissement linéique théorique d’un
guide d’ondes parfait en cuivre;
3) ajout d’une formule pour le calcul de l’affaiblissement linéique théorique des guides
d’ondes, quel que soit leur matériau constitutif;
4) ajout d’un tableau informatif donnant les matériaux typiques des guides d’ondes
(Tableau 5);
g) ajout d’une référence croisée informative pour les désignations de type des guides d’ondes
(Annexe A).
Le texte de cette Norme internationale est issu des documents suivants:
Projet Rapport de vote
46F/724/FDIS 46F/732/RVD
Le rapport de vote indiqué dans le tableau ci-dessus donne toute information sur le vote ayant
abouti à son approbation.
La langue employée pour l’élaboration de cette Norme internationale est l’anglais.
Ce document a été rédigé selon les Directives ISO/IEC, Partie 2, il a été développé selon les
Directives ISO/IEC, Partie 1 et les Directives ISO/IEC, Supplément IEC, disponibles sous
www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. Les principaux types de documents développés par
l’IEC sont décrits plus en détail sous www.iec.ch/publications.
Une liste de toutes les parties de la série IEC 60153, publiées sous le titre général Guides
d’ondes métalliques creux, se trouve sur le site web de l’IEC, webstore.iec.ch.
Le comité a décidé que le contenu de ce document ne sera pas modifié avant la date de stabilité
indiquée sur le site web de l’IEC sous webstore.iec.ch dans les données relatives au document
recherché. À cette date, le document sera
– reconduit,
– supprimé, ou
– révisé.
1 Domaine d’application
La présente partie de l’IEC 60153 spécifie des tubes métalliques creux droits de section
rectangulaire ordinaire, destinés à être utilisés comme guides d’ondes dans les applications
électriques radiofréquences. La section principale de ces tubes est représentée à la Figure 1,
conjointement avec les dimensions géométriques qui les caractérisent.
NOTE Le présent document vise à définir des produits tubulaires semi-finis, dont la caractérisation consiste à
spécifier leurs dimensions intérieures et leurs dimensions extérieures. Cependant, dans le cas de guides d’ondes
particulièrement volumineux et de guides d’ondes particulièrement compacts, le présent document spécifie
uniquement des dimensions intérieures. La raison en tient à des motifs relatifs à la production.
Légende
a largeur intérieure r rayon des coins
intérieurs
a largeur extérieure r rayon des coins
1 1
extérieurs
b hauteur intérieure t épaisseur de paroi
b hauteur extérieure
Figure 1 – Vue en coupe de tubes de guides d’ondes rectangulaires ordinaires
Le terme "guide d’ondes rectangulaire ordinaire", dans le titre du présent document, fait
référence aux guides d’ondes rectangulaires présentant un rapport entre les dimensions b et a
(rapport b/a) de 0,5 (ou légèrement moins).
Le présent document a pour objet de spécifier, pour les guides d’ondes métalliques creux:
a) les détails nécessaires pour assurer la compatibilité et, dès lors que c’est essentiel,
l’interchangeabilité;
b) les méthodes d’essai;
c) des exigences uniformes pour les propriétés électriques et mécaniques.
Le présent document ne contient aucune spécification contraignante concernant les matériaux
à utiliser, mais uniquement des exemples. Le choix précis des matériaux est soumis à un accord
entre le client et le fournisseur.
2 Références normatives
Les documents suivants sont cités dans le texte de sorte qu’ils constituent, pour tout ou partie
de leur contenu, des exigences du présent document. Pour les références datées, seule
l’édition citée s’applique. Pour les références non datées, la dernière édition du document de
référence s’applique (y compris les éventuels amendements).
IEC 60050 (toutes les parties), Vocabulaire Électrotechnique International (disponible à
l’adresse http://www.electropedia.org)
IEC 60153-1, Guides d’ondes métalliques creux - Partie 1: Exigences générales et méthodes
de mesure
IEC 60261, Essai d’étanchéité applicable aux guides d’ondes soumis à la pression et à leurs
dispositifs d’assemblage
3 Termes et définitions
Pour les besoins du présent document, les termes et définitions de la série IEC 60050
s’appliquent.
L’ISO et l’IEC tiennent à jour des bases de données terminologiques destinées à être utilisées
en normalisation, consultables aux adresses suivantes:
– IEC Electropedia: disponible à l’adresse http://www.electropedia.org
– ISO Online browsing platform: disponible à l’adresse https://www.iso.org/obp/ui
4 Généralités
4.1 Vue d’ensemble
L’IEC 60153-1, qui donne les exigences générales et les méthodes d’essai, doit s’appliquer.
4.2 Types normalisés
La série de guides d’ondes rectangulaires ordinaires traités dans le présent document est
énumérée dans le Tableau 1.
___________
La série de guides d'ondes normalisés a été étendue à des fréquences supérieures avec la publication de
l'IEC 60153-2:2016, en introduisant onze tailles de guides d'ondes supplémentaires. L'objectif de cette extension
était d'intégrer dans ce document les guides d'ondes acceptant des longueurs d'onde inférieures au millimètre,
qui avaient été normalisés à l'époque dans la norme IEEE Std 1785.1TM-2012. La série étendue couvre
désormais quatre décades de fréquences, de 320 MHz à 3,3 THz. Parallèlement à l'extension, un certain nombre
d'autres modifications se sont également révélées nécessaires. Elles sont mentionnées à titre informatif dans les
articles correspondants du présent document.
Tableau 1 – Spécifications applicables relatives aux guides d’ondes rectangulaires
ordinaires
4.3 Désignation de type
Pour les guides d’ondes rectangulaires ordinaires, la désignation de type correspond à la
syntaxe suivante:
60153˽IEC-R˽taille
où
˽ désigne le caractère espace;
taille désigne un terme qui caractérise une taille particulière de guide d’ondes. Ce terme
exprime approximativement la fréquence centrale géométrique de la plage de
fréquences de fonctionnement recommandée (voir 4.4.3), en multiples de
cent mégahertz (100 MHz). Les valeurs supérieures ou égales à mille sont, pour
raccourcir la désignation, divisées par mille et suivies d’un "k" minuscule pour kilo. Pour
la désignation de type, un point est utilisé comme séparateur décimal.
NOTE Dans le cadre de l’extension susmentionnée de la série, les anciennes désignations de guides
d’ondes R 1200, R 1400, R 1800, R 2200 et R 2600 ont été remplacées respectivement par R 1.2k, R 1.4k,
R 1.8k, R 2.2k et R 2.6k.
EXEMPLE 1 "60153 IEC-R 100" désigne un guide d’ondes rectangulaire ordinaire de dimensions intérieures de
22,860 mm sur 10,160 mm, et de fréquence centrale d’environ 10 GHz dans le mode dominant.
EXEMPLE 2 "60153 IEC-R 1.4k" désigne un guide d’ondes rectangulaire ordinaire de dimensions intérieures de
1,651 0 mm sur 0,825 5 mm, et de fréquence centrale d’environ 140 GHz dans le mode dominant.
Les guides d’ondes ayant des ouvertures égales à celles du présent document sont également
spécifiés dans d’autres normes relatives aux guides d’ondes. Différents schémas de
désignation de type y sont utilisés. Le Tableau A.1 donne les références croisées des
différentes dénominations de désignation de type.
4.4 Fréquences
4.4.1 Fréquence de coupure
Les guides d’ondes rectangulaires sont généralement utilisés dans leur mode
électromagnétique dominant, TE . La propagation de ce mode n’est possible qu’à des
fréquences supérieures à une certaine fréquence de coupure, f . Pour
...
IEC 60153-2 ®
Edition 4.0 2025-11
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Hollow metallic waveguides -
Part 2: Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
Guides d'ondes métalliques creux -
Partie 2: Spécifications applicables relatives aux guides d'ondes rectangulaires
ordinaires
ICS 33.120.10 ISBN 978-2-8327-0852-1
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either
IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC copyright
or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or your local
IEC member National Committee for further information.
Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite ni
utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique, y compris la photocopie et
les microfilms, sans l'accord écrit de l'IEC ou du Comité national de l'IEC du pays du demandeur. Si vous avez des
questions sur le copyright de l'IEC ou si vous désirez obtenir des droits supplémentaires sur cette publication, utilisez
les coordonnées ci-après ou contactez le Comité national de l'IEC de votre pays de résidence.
IEC Secretariat Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.
About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigendum or an amendment might have been published.
IEC publications search - IEC Products & Services Portal - products.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Discover our powerful search engine and read freely all the
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a publications previews, graphical symbols and the glossary.
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical With a subscription you will always have access to up to date
committee, …). It also gives information on projects, content tailored to your needs.
replaced and withdrawn publications.
Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished The world's leading online dictionary on electrotechnology,
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published containing more than 22 500 terminological entries in English
details all new publications released. Available online and and French, with equivalent terms in 25 additional languages.
Also known as the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary
once a month by email.
(IEV) online.
IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
need further assistance, please contact the Customer
Service Centre: sales@iec.ch.
A propos de l'IEC
La Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est la première organisation mondiale qui élabore et publie des
Normes internationales pour tout ce qui a trait à l'électricité, à l'électronique et aux technologies apparentées.
A propos des publications IEC
Le contenu technique des publications IEC est constamment revu. Veuillez vous assurer que vous possédez l’édition la
plus récente, un corrigendum ou amendement peut avoir été publié.
Recherche de publications IEC - IEC Products & Services Portal - products.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Découvrez notre puissant moteur de recherche et consultez
La recherche avancée permet de trouver des publications gratuitement tous les aperçus des publications, symboles
IEC en utilisant différents critères (numéro de référence, graphiques et le glossaire. Avec un abonnement, vous aurez
texte, comité d’études, …). Elle donne aussi des toujours accès à un contenu à jour adapté à vos besoins.
informations sur les projets et les publications remplacées
ou retirées. Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
Le premier dictionnaire d'électrotechnologie en ligne au
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished monde, avec plus de 22 500 articles terminologiques en
Restez informé sur les nouvelles publications IEC. Just anglais et en français, ainsi que les termes équivalents
Published détaille les nouvelles publications parues. dans 25 langues additionnelles. Egalement appelé
Disponible en ligne et une fois par mois par email. Vocabulaire Electrotechnique International (IEV) en ligne.
Service Clients - webstore.iec.ch/csc
Si vous désirez nous donner des commentaires sur cette
publication ou si vous avez des questions contactez-
nous: sales@iec.ch.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD. 2
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 General . 5
4.1 Overview . 5
4.2 Standardised types . 5
4.3 Type designation . 7
4.4 Frequencies . 7
4.4.1 Cut-off frequency . 7
4.4.2 Operating frequency range . 8
4.4.3 Centre frequency . 8
5 Mechanical requirements . 8
5.1 Material . 8
5.2 Dimensions . 8
5.2.1 Inside dimensions . 8
5.2.2 Wall thickness . 9
5.2.3 Eccentricity . 10
5.2.4 Outside dimensions . 10
5.2.5 Rectangularity of cross-section . 10
5.3 Other mechanical requirements . 11
5.3.1 Curvature . 11
5.3.2 Twist. 11
5.3.3 Surface roughness . 12
5.3.4 Internal stresses . 12
6 Electrical tests – Attenuation coefficient . 12
6.1 Theoretical attenuation coefficient . 12
6.2 Practical waveguides . 13
6.3 Attenuation test for quality inspection . 14
7 Additional tests – Pressure sealing . 14
Annex A (informative) Waveguide type designation schemes of various waveguide
standards . 15
Bibliography . 17
Figure 1 – Cross-sectional view of ordinary rectangular waveguide tubing . 4
Table 1 – Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides. 6
Table 2 – Tolerances of inside dimensions . 9
Table 3 – Inside corner radius . 9
Table 4 – Tolerances of outside dimensions . 10
Table 5 – Typical bulk materials for waveguide tubes . 13
Table A.1 – Cross-reference for ordinary rectangular waveguides with equal apertures . 15
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
Hollow metallic waveguides -
Part 2: Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). IEC takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in
respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, IEC had not received notice of (a) patent(s), which
may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent
the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at https://patents.iec.ch. IEC
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 60153-2 has been prepared by subcommittee 46F: RF and microwave passive components,
of IEC technical committee 46: Cables, wires, waveguides, RF connectors, RF and microwave
passive components and accessories. It is an International Standard.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2016. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) addition of a cross-sectional view of the waveguide;
b) addition of informative content on the theoretical background of the standard;
c) use of a lower case "k" in the waveguide designation, where appropriate;
d) revision of main specification table (now Table 1):
1) two waveguides moved to the end of the table (R 35, R 41);
2) correction of one waveguide designation (now R 26k);
3) correction of one waveguide outside width (R 18);
4) relaxation of tolerances of waveguide outside dimensions (R 14 to R 70);
5) removed attenuation values of waveguides made of gold, aluminium, and stainless steel;
6) implementation of attenuation values for an idealised copper waveguide;
e) relaxation of tolerances of waveguide outside dimensions for R 14 to R 70 in the table now
referred to as Table 4;
f) clarification of the electrical tests:
1) use of standard annealed copper as the reference material for waveguide tubes;
2) correction of the formula for calculating the theoretical attenuation of an idealised copper
waveguide;
3) addition of a formula for calculating the theoretical attenuation of waveguides made of
any material;
4) addition of an informative table with typical waveguide materials (Table 5);
g) addition of an informative cross-reference for waveguide type designations (Annex A).
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
46F/724/FDIS 46F/732/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
A list of all parts of the IEC 60153 series, published under the general title Hollow metallic
waveguides, can be found on the IEC website at webstore.iec.ch.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
– reconfirmed,
– withdrawn, or
– revised.
1 Scope
This part of the IEC 60153 specifies straight hollow metallic tubing of ordinary rectangular
cross-section for use as waveguides in radio frequency electrical applications. The principal
cross-section for such tubing is shown in Figure 1 together with its defining geometrical
dimensions.
NOTE This document serves to define tubular semi-finished products that are characterised by specifying both their
inside and outside dimensions. However, in the case of particularly large and particularly small waveguides, this
document only specifies inside dimensions. This is for production-related reasons.
Key
a inside width r inside corner radius
a outside width r outside corner radius
1 1
b inside height t wall thickness
b outside height
Figure 1 – Cross-sectional view of ordinary rectangular waveguide tubing
The term "ordinary rectangular waveguide" in the title of this document refers to rectangular
waveguides with a b-to-a ratio of 0,5 (or slightly less).
The objective of this document is to specify for hollow metallic waveguides:
a) the details necessary to ensure compatibility and, as far as is essential, interchangeability;
b) test methods;
c) uniform requirements for the electrical and mechanical properties.
This document does not contain any binding specifications for the materials to be used, but
merely examples. The exact selection of materials is subject to agreement between the
customer and the supplier.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60050 (all parts), International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (available at
http://www.electropedia.org)
IEC 60153-1, Hollow metallic waveguides - Part 1: General requirements and measuring
methods
IEC 60261, Sealing test for pressurized waveguide tubing and assemblies
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in the IEC 60050 series
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardisation at the following
addresses:
– IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org
– ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/ui
4 General
4.1 Overview
IEC 60153-1, which gives general requirements and test methods, shall apply.
4.2 Standardised types
The series of ordinary rectangular waveguides covered in this document is listed in Table 1.
___________
With IEC 60153-2:2016, the series of standardised waveguides was extended to higher frequencies by
introducing eleven additional waveguide sizes. The motivation for this extension was to integrate the sub-
millimetre wavelength waveguides, newly standardised at the time in IEEE Std 1785.1TM-2012, into this
document. The extended series now covers four frequency decades, from 320 MHz to 3,3 THz. In the course of
the extension, a number of other changes also became necessary. They are mentioned informatively in the
corresponding clauses of this document.
Table 1 – Relevant specifications for ordinary rectangular waveguides
Frequencies Inside dimensions Wall dim. Outside dimensions Attenuation coefficient
in GHz in mm in mm in mm in dB/m
Cut-off Width Height Corner radius of an idealised copper
Operating range Width Height Tolerance Co. radius Thickness Tolerance
f a b r t a b r waveguide at f
c,1 1 1 1 centre
Theoret. Min. Max. Nom. Nom. Max. Calc. Nom. Nom. Min. Max. f Theoret. Limit
centre
± ±
value value value value value value value value value value value value value
in GHz
R 3 0,257 0,321 0,488 584,20 292,10 1,17 1,50 0,385 0,00078 0,00102
R 4 0,281 0,351 0,534 533,40 266,70 1,07 1,50 0,422 0,00090 0,00117
R 5 0,328 0,410 0,623 457,20 228,60 0,91 1,50 0,492 0,0011 0,0015
R 6 0,393 0,492 0,748 381,00 190,50 0,76 1,50 not specified 0,590 0,0015 0,0019
R 8 0,513 0,641 0,975 292,10 146,05 0,58 1,50 0,770 0,0022 0,0029
R 9 0,605 0,757 1,15 247,65 123,82 0,50 1,20 0,908 0,0028 0,0037
R 12 0,766 0,958 1,46 195,58 97,79 0,39 1,20 1,15 0,0040 0,0053
R 14 0,908 1,13 1,73 165,10 82,55 0,33 1,20 2,030 169,16 86,61 0,33 1,02 1,52 1,36 0,0052 0,0068
R 18 1,16 1,45 2,20 129,54 64,77 0,26 1,20 2,030 133,60 68,83 0,26 1,02 1,52 1,74 0,0075 0,0097
R 22 1,37 1,72 2,61 109,22 54,61 0,22 1,20 2,030 113,28 58,67 0,22 1,02 1,52 2,06 0,0097 0,0126
R 26 1,74 2,17 3,30 86,360 43,180 0,173 1,20 2,030 90,420 47,240 0,173 1,02 1,52 2,60 0,014 0,018
R 32 2,08 2,60 3,95 72,140 34,040 0,144 1,20 2,030 76,200 38,100 0,144 1,02 1,52 3,12 0,019 0,024
R 40 2,58 3,22 4,90 58,170 29,080 0,116 1,20 1,625 61,420 32,330 0,116 0,81 1,31 3,87 0,025 0,032
R 48 3,15 3,94 5,99 47,549 22,149 0,095 0,80 1,626 50,800 25,400 0,095 0,81 1,31 4,73 0,035 0,046
R 58 3,71 4,64 7,05 40,386 20,193 0,081 0,80 1,627 43,640 23,440 0,081 0,81 1,31 5,57 0,043 0,056
R 70 4,30 5,38 8,17 34,849 15,799 0,070 0,80 1,626 38,100 19,050 0,070 0,81 1,31 6,45 0,058 0,075
R 84 5,26 6,57 9,99 28,499 12,624 0,057 0,80 1,626 31,750 15,880 0,050 0,81 1,31 7,89 0,079 0,103
R 100 6,56 8,20 12,5 22,860 10,160 0,046 0,80 1,270 25,400 12,700 0,050 0,64 1,14 9,84 0,11 0,14
R 120 7,87 9,84 15,0 19,050 9,525 0,038 0,80 1,270 21,590 12,060 0,050 0,64 1,14 11,8 0,13
R 140 9,49 11,9 18,0 15,799 7,899 0,032 0,400 1,016 17,830 9,930 0,050 0,51 1,01 14,2 0,18
R 180 11,6 14,5 22,0 12,954 6,477 0,026 0,400 1,018 14,990 8,510 0,050 0,51 1,01 17,4 0,24
R 220 14,1 17,6 26,7 10,668 4,318 0,021 0,400 1,016 12,700 6,350 0,050 0,51 1,01 21,1 0,37
R 260 17,4 21,7 33,0 8,6360 4,3180 0,0173 0,4000 1,017 10,670 6,350 0,050 0,51 1,01 26,0 0,44
R 320 21,1 26,3 40,0 7,1120 3,5560 0,0142 0,4000 1,014 9,140 5,590 0,050 0,51 1,01 31,6 0,58
R 400 26,3 32,9 50,1 5,6900 2,8450 0,0114 0,3000 1,015 7,720 4,880 0,050 0,51 1,01 39,5 0,81
R 500 31,4 39,2 59,6 4,7750 2,3880 0,0096 0,3000 1,018 6,810 4,420 0,050 0,51 1,01 47,1 1,1
R 620 39,9 50 75 3,7590 1,8800 0,0188 0,2000 1,016 5,790 3,910 0,050 0,51 1,01 59,8 1,5
R 740 48,4 60 90 3,0988 1,5494 0,0155 0,1549 1,016 5,130 3,580 0,050 0,51 1,01 72,6 2,0
R 900 59,0 75 110 2,5400 1,2700 0,0127 0,1270 1,015 4,570 3,300 0,050 0,51 1,01 88,5 2,7
R 1.2k 73,8 90 140 2,0320 1,0160 0,0102 0,1016 0,762 3,556 2,540 0,025 0,38 0,88 111 3,8
R 1.4k 90,8 110 170 1,6510 0,8255 0,0083 0,0826 0,762 3,175 2,350 0,025 0,38 0,88 136 5,2
R 1.8k 116 140 220 1,2950 0,6475 0,0065 0,0648 0,762 2,819 2,172 0,025 0,38 0,88 174 7,5
R 2.2k 137 170 260 1,0920 0,5460 0,0055 0,0546 0,762 2,616 2,070 0,025 0,38 0,88 206 9,7
R 2.6k 173 220 330 0,8640 0,4320 0,0043 0,0432 0,762 2,388 1,956 0,025 0,38 0,88 260 14
R 3.2k 211 260 400 0,7100 0,3550 0,0036 0,0355 317 18
R 4k 263 330 500 0,5700 0,2850 0,0029 0,0285 394 26
R 5k 319 400 600 0,4700 0,2350 0,0047 0,0235 478 34
R 6.2k 394 500 750 0,3800 0,1900 0,0038 0,0190 592 47
R 7.4k 484 600 900 0,3100 0,1550 0,0031 0,0155 725 64
not specified
R 9k 600 750 1100 0,2500 0,1250 0,0025 0,0125 899 88
R 12k 749 900 1400 0,2000 0,1000 0,0020 0,0100 1120 124
R 14k 914 1100 1700 0,1640 0,0820 0,0016 0,0082 1370 166
R 18k 1150 1400 2200 0,1300 0,0650 0,0026 0,0065 1730 236
R 22k 1410 1700 2600 0,1060 0,0530 0,0021 0,0053 2120 320
R 26k 1740 2200 3300 0,0860 0,0430 0,0017 0,0043 2610 438
NOTE The following additional types are included due to their use in legacy telecommunications equipment.
R 35 2,26 2,82 4,29 66,370 29,500 0,133 1,20 2,000 70,370 33,500 0,066 1,00 1,50 3,39 0,022 0,029
R 41 2,63 3,29 5,00 57,000 25,330 0,114 1,20 2,000 61,000 29,330 0,057 0,80 1,30 3,94 0,028 0,036
NOTE Figure 1 is reproduced here as a legend for
the geometric quantities listed above.
Type designation
60153 IEC-
for subsequent study
4.3 Type designation
For ordinary rectangular waveguides, the type designation comprises the code
60153˽IEC-R˽size
where
˽ is the space character;
size is a term that characterises a particular size of a waveguide. This term expresses
approximately the geometric centre frequency of the recommended operating frequency
range (see 4.4.3) in multiples of hundred megahertz (100 MHz). Values of one thousand
and above are – to keep the designation short – divided by one thousand and followed
by a lower-case "k" for kilo. For the type designation, a point is used as the decimal
separator.
NOTE As part of the above-mentioned series extension, the former waveguide designations R 1200,
R 1400, R 1800, R 2200, and R 2600 have been replaced by R 1.2k, R 1.4k, R 1.8k, R 2.2k, and R 2.6k,
respectively.
EXAMPLE 1 "60153 IEC-R 100" denotes an ordinary rectangular waveguide with inside dimensions of 22,860 mm
by 10,160 mm and a centre frequency of approximately 10 GHz in the dominant mode.
EXAMPLE 2 "60153 IEC-R 1.4k" denotes an ordinary rectangular waveguide with inside dimensions of 1,6510 mm
by 0,8255 mm and a centre frequency of approximately 140 GHz in the dominant mode.
Waveguides with apertures equal to those of this document are also specified in other
waveguide standards. Different type designation schemes are used there. Table A.1 provides
a cross-reference between various type designation schemes.
4.4 Frequencies
4.4.1 Cut-off frequency
Rectangular waveguides are usually operated in their dominant electromagnetic mode, TE .
Propagation of this mode is only possible at frequencies above a certain cut-off frequency f .
c,1
For a rectangular waveguide with sharp inside corners, f is calculated by
c,1
c
f =
c,1
2a ε
r
where
c is the speed of light in vacuum (defined as 299 792 458 m/s);
a is the inside width of the waveguide, as shown in Figure 1;
ε is the relative permittivity of the dielectric material in the waveguide.
r
In this document, it is assumed that ε = 1, i.e. the value for vacuum.
r
NOTE For air with a temperature of 23 °C, a relative humidity of 50 %, and an atmospheric pressure of 1013,25 hPa,
the relative permittivity is ε ≈ 1,000 65.
r
Values for f are given in Table 1.
c,1
4.4.2 Operating frequency range
In this document, an operating frequency range is recommended, defined as the single-mode
(purely dominant mode) range between 1,25f and 1,90f .
c,1 c,1
NOTE 1 1,90f corresponds to 0,95f , the cut-off frequency of the second propagation mode, TE (i.e., the first
c,1 c,2 20
higher-order mode) of an ordinary rectangular waveguide.
The minimum and maximum frequency of the recommended operating ranges are listed in
Table 1.
NOTE 2 Within the scope of the above-mentioned series extension, the recommended operating frequency ranges
for the waveguide sizes R 620 to R 2.6k have been slightly readjusted to bring them into line with
IEEE Std 1785.1-2012.
The minimum and maximum operating frequencies do not represent hard operational limits.
However, significant deviations from these values are not recommended, as the dispersion of
the waveguide increases significantly at frequencies below the minimum value, and higher-
order modes can propagate at frequencies above the maximum value.
4.4.3 Centre frequency
As noted in 4.3 the waveguide type designation is derived from the geometric centre frequency
f , which is defined as the geometric mean of the recommended operating frequency range:
centre
f =1,25×1,90 ff≈ 1,5
centre c,1 c,1
5 Mechanical requirements
5.1 Material
This document does not contain any binding specifications for the materials to be used for
waveguides. However, Table 5 lists some examples. The exact selection of materials is subject
to agreement between the customer and the supplier.
5.2 Dimensions
5.2.1 Inside dimensions
5.2.1.1 Waveguide aperture
In a hollow metallic waveguide, an electromagnetic wave is transmitted by recurrent oblique
reflection on the inner walls of the tube. The shape and size of the inner cross-section – the so-
called waveguide aperture – has therefore to be selected according to the intended operating
frequencies. For the rectangular cross-section considered here (cf. Figure 1), the aperture is
determined entirely by the following quantities: inside width a, inside height b, and inside corner
radius r. Of these, a is the decisive geometric quantity since it determines the cut-off frequency
of the dominant mode, TE (cf. 4.4.1).
5.2.1.2 Inside width and height
The nominal values for a and b for each waveguide size are specified in Table 1. The maximum
permissible deviations of a and b – i.e. their tolerances – which are also given in Table 1, are
based on Table 2. These tolerances are defined in relation to a, but are valid for both inside
dimensions, a and b.
Table 2 – Tolerances of inside dimensions
Range of sizes Tolerance
R 3 to R 500 ±0,2 % of the nominal value of a
R 620 to R 4k ±0,5 % of the nominal value of a
R 5k to R 14k ±1 % of the nominal value of a
R 18k to R 26k ±2 % of the nominal value of a
5.2.1.3 Inside corner radius
The inside corner radius r – defined as the radius of a concave corner between two adjacent
internal sides of the waveguide – shall be between zero and a maximum value, specified in
Table 1. The maximum values conform to the specifications given in Table 3.
Table 3 – Inside corner radius
Range of sizes Maximum value
R 3 to R 8 1,5 mm
R 9 to R 41 1,2 mm
R 48 to R 120 0,8 mm
R 140 to R 320 0,4 mm
R 400 to R 500 0,3 mm
R 620 0,2 mm
R 740 to R 26k 5 % of the nominal value of a
5.2.2 Wall thickness
The nominal wall thickness t – defined as half the difference between the nominal outside and
inside dimension – is specified in Table 1.
___________
In IEC 60153-2:1964 and IEC 60153-2:1974, the inside dimensions of all waveguide sizes (except R 35 and R 41)
were derived from dimensions specified in inches. As part of the series extension mentioned above, the a
dimensions of the three waveguide sizes R 1.8k, R 2.2k, R 2.6k have been rounded to the nearest micrometre
values to comply with the metrically defined IEEE Std 1785.1-2012. These changes in nominal dimensions of a
few tenths of a micrometre are small compared to the tolerances and have no significant effect on the radio
frequency performance of the three waveguides. The a dimensions of the newly included waveguide sizes R 3.2k
to R 26k have been taken directly from IEEE Std 1785.1-2012.
Within the scope of the above-mentioned series extension, the tolerances of the inside dimensions for the
waveguide sizes R 260 to R 2.6k have been slightly readjusted. The definition of the various tolerance grades in
IEEE Std 1785.1-2012 served as a guideline. Due to the relative tolerances chosen in Table 2, which increase
for smaller waveguides, discontinuities occur in the series of absolute values of the tolerances in Table 1.
However, these are a consequence of the reduction in size of the waveguide.
5.2.3 Eccentricity
Eccentricity is defined as half the difference between the measured thicknesses of opposite
walls. Unless otherwise agreed between customer and supplier, the eccentricity shall not
exceed 10 % of the nominal wall thickness. For the determination of eccentricity, the
thicknesses shall be measured to obtain the maximum possible result.
5.2.4 Outside dimensions
5.2.4.1 Outside width and height
The nominal values for the outside width a , and the outside height b , are specified in Table 1
1 1
together with their tolerances. The tolerances, which are based on Table 4, are valid for both
outside dimensions.
Table 4 – Tolerances of outside dimensions
Range of sizes Tolerance
R 3 to R 12 Not specified
R 14 to R 70 ±0,2 % of the nominal value of a
R 84 to R 900 ±0,050 mm
R 1.2k to R 2.6k ±0,025 mm
R 3.2k to R 26k Not specified
Due to the wide variety of manufacturing techniques available, no outside dimensions are
specified for sizes R 12 and larger, as well as for sizes R 3.2k and smaller.
5.2.4.2 Outside corner radius
The outside corner radius r – defined as the radius of a convex corner between two adjacent
external sides of the waveguide – shall be within the following limits:
rt= 0,5
1min
r = r + 0,5 mm
1max 1min
where
t is the (nominal) wall thickness.
The outside corner radius limits, r and r , are given in Table 1.
1min 1max
5.2.5 Rectangularity of cross-section
5.2.5.1 General
The dimensional requirements in 5.2.1 and 5.2.4 do not control the rectangularity of the
cross-section.
The acceptable deviation from the rectangularity specification is defined by the requirement
that the shape of the inside (outside) cross-section shall be such that it is possible to inscribe
the actual internal (external) cross-section in the area between the specified maximum and
minimum internal (external) rectangles. A suitable method for checking rectangularity is given
below by way of example.
For measuring the cross-sectional waveguide dimensions, a calliper or a three-dimensional
coordinate measuring machine or similar dimensional measurement equipment should be used.
5.2.5.2 For inside cross-section
A block with the dimensions specified below shall pass through the waveguide without
hindrance. When pulling the block through the waveguide, make sure to keep it as perpendicular
to the waveguide axis as possible.
For the dimensions of the block, the following specifications apply:
– nominal dimensions of cross-section: nominal waveguide aperture size minus 1,1 times the
tolerance;
+0
– tolerance on nominal dimensions of cross-section: times tolerance of the waveguide
–0,1
aperture;
−4
– perpendicularity of the sides: not deviating by more than 3 × 10 radian (≈ 0,02°);
– length: 0,2a.
5.2.5.3 For outside cross-section
The outside cross-section shall be such that it is possible to pass the waveguide through a
standard gauge with an aperture of rectangular cross-section as specified below.
For the dimensions of the aperture, the following specifications apply:
– nominal dimensions of cross-section: nominal waveguide outside cross-section plus
1,1 times the tolerance;
+0,1
– tolerance on nominal dimensions of cross-section: times tolerance of waveguide outside
–0
cross-section;
−4
– perpendicularity of the sides: not deviating by more than 3 × 10 radian (≈ 0,02°).
5.3 Other mechanical requirements
5.3.1 Curvature
Curvature is defined as the maximum deviation of the actual waveguide axis from a straight line
of specified length connecting two points on this axis.
Curvature on the external surface of the waveguide is assessed as follows:
– for a length of 10a, the external curvature shall not exceed 10 times the specified tolerance
of a;
– for a length of 50a, the external curvature shall not exceed 40 times the specified tolerance
of a.
To determine the external curvature, the waveguide shall be positioned so that the effects of
gravity are avoided.
5.3.2 Twist
Twist is defined as the rotation, over a specified length, of the cross-section of the waveguide
around the longitudinal axis.
The rate of twist shall not exceed the following values:
– 0,5° per metre for waveguides with a ≥ 100 mm;
– 0,5° per 10a length of waveguide for waveguides with a < 100 mm.
Over a length equal to 50a, the accumulated twist shall not exceed 2°. The direction of twist
should not be systematic in a batch of waveguides.
5.3.3 Surface roughness
For subsequent study.
5.3.4 Internal stresses
The waveguide tube shall be cut by means of a saw. The cutting process shall be carefully
controlled to avoid distortion arising from the cutting. The use of a fine high-speed saw is
recommended. After cutting, the cross-section of the waveguide tube shall still be within the
specified tolerance.
6 Electrical tests – Attenuation coefficient
6.1 Theoretical attenuation coefficient
The following formula can be used to calculate the theoretical attenuation coefficient of an
idealised copper waveguide, i.e., a waveguide with perfectly smooth inside walls made of
standard annealed copper at 20 °C (having a conductivity of σ = 58 MS/m, see
IEC 60028:1925).
f 2b
+
fa
α
1 c,1
Cu,ideal
=2,328 9××
dB/m 2
ba
ff
−1
mm mm
ff
c,1 c,1
where
α is the theoretical attenuation coefficient for an idealised copper waveguide;
Cu,ideal
a is the inside width of the waveguide;
b is the inside height of the waveguide;
f is the frequency at which the attenuation coefficient is to be calculated;
f is the cut-off frequency of the waveguide's dominant electromagnetic mode, TE .
c,1 10
Table 1 gives the theoretical attenuation coefficients for idealised copper waveguides at their
respective centre frequency f .
centre
___________
It is possible to obtain this formula from fundamental microwave theory, such as Marcuvitz (1951, page 61,
formula 14a). The formula is derived in detail by Skinner et al. (2025). It is only applicable to walls with negligible
surface roughness and non-magnetic wall metals. It does not apply to thinly plated surfaces for which the plating
thickness is less than roughly twice the skin depth. The formula specifically does not apply if there is a magnetic
sublayer under a thin surface layer (e.g. a nickel diffusion barrier layer under a thin gold layer).
6.2 Practical waveguides
For a practical waveguide, i.e. a waveguide that has a non-negligible surface roughness and is
made of a material other than standard annealed copper at 20 °C, the attenuation coefficient
can be calculated using the following formula:
α σ
=
ασ
Cu,ideal eff
where
α is the theoretical attenuation coefficient of the waveguide under consideration;
α is the theoretical attenuation coefficient for an idealised copper waveguide;
Cu,ideal
σ is the electrical conductivity of standard annealed copper at 20 °C according to
IEC 60028:1925 (σ = 58 MS/m);
σ is the effective electrical conductivity of the wall material of the waveguide under
eff
consideration, taking into account imperfections such as surface roughness, non-
uniform plating thickness and non-homogeneous conductivity.
For information, Table 5 contains a selection of typical bulk materials for waveguide tubes
together with information on their use, approximate conductivities and multiplication factors
σ /σ . The values given apply only to ideally smooth surfaces.
0 eff
Table 5 – Typical bulk materials for waveguide tubes
Material Common use Conductivity σ
eff
σσ/
0 eff
at 20 °C, approx.
Fine silver Metrology grade waveguides, 62 MS/m 0,97
Ag999 usually R 220 and smaller
Oxygen-free electronic grade Ultra-high vacuum and field grade 58 to 59 MS/m 1,00 to 0,99
copper waveguides,
Cu-OFE (CW-009A) usually R 12 to R 2.6k
standard annealed copper IEC 60028:1925 reference material 58 MS/m 1,00
Coin silver Metrology grade waveguides, 49 MS/m 1,09
AgCu10 usually R 100 and smaller
Aluminium alloy 33 to 34 MS/m 1,33 to 1,31
Light-weight waveguides
Al99,0Cu (AW-1100)
Aluminium alloy 29 to 34 MS/m 1,41 to 1,31
Light-weight waveguides
AlMg0,7Si (AW-6063)
Aluminium alloy 23 to 27 MS/m 1,59 to 1,47
Light-weight waveguides
AlMg1SiCu (AW-6061)
Brass Field grade waveguides, 25,5 MS/m 1,51
CuZn10 (CW-501L) usually R 14 to R 1.2k
Brass Field grade waveguides, 16,2 MS/m 1,89
CuZn30 (CW-505L) usually R 22 to R 1.2k
NOTE Waveguides from poorly conductive bulk materials such as brass are often plated internally with a layer of
silver or gold.
If surface roughness cannot be ignored, the attenuation coefficient shall be calculated using a
σ value that is lower than the value specified in Table 5. This document does not contain
eff
typical σ information for this case.
eff
6.3 Attenuation test for quality inspection
For quality inspection purposes, the insertion loss of a suitable length, l, of waveguide shall be
measured at f . The measurement accuracy shall be better than 10 % of the expected value
centre
in decibels. The attenuation coefficient is then calculated by dividing the measured insertion
loss by l. This measured attenuation coefficient is then compared with a limit value.
– Testing of waveguide sizes R 100 and larger: Unless otherwise agreed between customer
and supplier, the measured attenuation coefficient shall not exceed a limit value of 1,3α. For
ideal copper waveguides at their respective centre frequencies, this limit attenuation
coefficient is given in the last column of Table 1.
– Testing of waveguide sizes smaller than R 100: these requirements are for subsequent
study.
7 Additional tests – Pressure sealing
The sealing of pressurised waveguide tubing shall conform to the test methods specified in
IEC 60261.
Annex A
(informative)
Waveguide type designation schemes of various waveguide standards
Table A.1 – Cross-reference for ordinary rectangular waveguides with equal apertures
IEC 60153-2 IEEE 1785.1 EIA-261 DEF-5351 MIL-DTL-85/1 MIL-DTL-85/2 MIL-DTL-85/3
60153 IEC- M85/1- M85/2- M85/3-
R 3 WR 2300 WG 00 001, 002, 161 - -
R 4 WR 2100 WG 0 003, 004, 162 - -
R 5 WR 1800 WG 1 005, 006, 163 - -
R 6 WR 1500 WG 2 007, 008, 164 - -
R 8 WR 1150 WG 3 009, 010, 165 - -
R 9 WR 975 WG 4 011, 012, 166 - -
R 12 WR 770 WG 5 013, 014, 167 - -
R 14 WR 650 WG 6 015, 017, 018, 019, 020, 168 - -
R 18 WR 510 WG 7 021, 023, 024, 025, 026, 169 - -
R 22 WR 430 WG 8 027, 029, 030, 031, 032, 170 - -
R 26 WR 340 WG 9A 033, 035, 036, 037, 038, 171 - -
R 32 WR 284 WG 10 039, 041, 042, 043, 044, 172 001, 002, 004 -
R 40 WR 229 WG 11A 045, 047, 048, 049, 050, 173 - -
R 48 WR 187 WG 12 051, 053, 054, 055, 056, 174 003, 005, 006 -
R 58 WR 159 WG 13 057, 059, 060, 061, 062, 175 - -
R 70 WR 137 WG 14 063, 065, 066, 067, 068, 176 - -
R 84 WR 112 WG 15 069, 071, 072, 073, 074, 177 007 -
R 100 WR 90 WG 16 075, 077, 078, 079, 080, 178 008, 009 -
R 120 WR 75 WG 17 081, 083, 084, 085, 086, 179 - -
R 140 WR 62 WG 18 087, 089, 090, 091, 092, 093, 180 - -
R 180 WR 51 WG 19 094, 096, 097, 098, 099, 181 - -
R 220 WR 42 WG 20 100, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 182 - -
R 260 WR 34 WG 21 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 183 - -
R 320 WR 28 WG 22 - - 006, 007, 008, 009
R 400 WR 22 WG 23 - - 010, 011, 012, 013
R 500 WR 19 WG 24 - - 014, 015, 016
R 620 WR 15 WG 25 - - 017, 018
R 740 WR 12 WG 26 - - 020, 021
R 900 WM-2540 WR 10 WG 27 - - 023, 024
R 1.2k WM-2032 WR 8 WG 28 - - 026, 027
R 1.4k WM-1651 WR 7 WG 29 - - 029, 030
R 1.8k WM-1295 WR 5* WG 30* - - 032*, 033*
R 2.2k WM-1092 WR 4* WG 31* - - 035*, 036*
R 2.6k WM-864 WR 3* WG 32* - - 038*, 039*
R 3.2k WM-710
R 4k WM-570
R 5k WM-470
R 6.2k WM-380
R 7.4k WM-310
R 9k WM-250
R 12k WM-200
R 14k WM-164
R 18k WM-130
R 22k WM-106
R 26k WM-86
* For reasons explained in Footnote 2, the
...
Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.
Loading comments...