Textile-Based Flexible Coaxial Cable

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe and characterize the behavior of a novel, flexible, and lightweight textile-based coaxial cable, addressing the growing need for adaptable transmission lines in wearable electronics or other similar application. This innovative cable is crafted by integrating conductive and non-conductive hybrid threads, specialized polyurethane coatings, and textile materials, resulting in a core that uniquely combines flexibility with electrical conductivity. The insulator, a double-layered sheath, is composed of highly flexible PESh fibers, designed to enhance durability while maintaining the cable’s lightweight profile. The outer shielding layer is intricately woven from conductive hybrid threads, providing mainly electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection and a critical feature that ensures optimal RF performance by minimizing signal loss. Prototype samples of this textile-based coaxial cable were thoroughly tested using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to obtain essential scattering parameters (S-parameters), revealing their performance across a broad range of frequencies. The testing phase yielded valuable insights, particularly regarding the cable’s signal integrity and loss characteristics, which are critical for optimizing its application in wearable technology and for usage in future simulation process. Furthermore, the obtained results from the testing phase provided valuable insights, enabling us to gather feedback for refining the composition and optimizing the usability of the textile-based coaxial cable, especially in its application with wearable electronics.