Arduino Yun external antenna

Question

Can someone help me understand how the external antenna IPX connector actually stays connected to the Yun? Do I have to "force" it in so it snaps in? I've been somewhat gentle with it in fear I'll break something. However when I get close to getting it in, it just pops back out.

I've never worked with an IPX connector before, and I'm trying to not break anything.

EDIT: I may have figured this out. Looks like the socket on the Yun is an IPEX socket, which is female. The cable I have is an IPX/uFL/u.FL connector, which also appears to be female.

It looks like I need to use an MCX cable adapter as found here: http://www.adafruit.com/products/1532 If someone could confirm this for me, that'd be great.

Here's a picture of the cable I purchased and my Yun. enter image description here

• Peter Bloomfield: If you can confirm that you've figured it out, could you add your solution as an answer? That will make it a bit easier for future visitors to find. Thanks!
• user4005: Pat, were you ever able to confirm if the /1532 part works?
• Pat: @Brodie I haven't purchased it yet, however this project has gained steam this week, so it might be ordered soon. Looking back at it again, I think it's the right connector, but can't confirm first-hand (yet)
• user4096: the Arduino YUN wifi antenna onboard is an "SWF£ female connector type; not an IPX ;-)
• Eric: I think what @Gianni72 said is correct. This Digikey presentation has a nice animation showing how an RF Switch Connector works. This type of operation would make sense on the Yùn, since it would automatically (mechanically) switch the signal route from the internal antenna to the external one.

Answer 1

There's a discussion on the Arduino Forum about this:

Mystery component on Yun board?

From what I read it's only for testing purposes.

the connector is a MM8430-2610 (see this). You can plug in a MXGS83RK3000/MM126036: once plugged in, the switch connector will turn the internal antenna off and use the probe as an external antenna

• Pat: I don't think I would call it testing purposes if the Arduino uses the "probe" as an external antenna. That seems like normal expected behavior for a device to turn off the internal antenna in favor of an external antenna. The PDF you linked may be onto something though with the validation of the MCX connector, and not the IPX connector I bought (pictured above).

Answer 2

Testing with my Yún, it took quite a bit of force to install the connector. I had to use pliers to get extra leverage, but it eventually snapped in place.

• Pat: Did your cable look like mine in the photo? I think I may have bought a female cable (and the board connector is female) so I would have needed a male cable (I think).
• TheDoctor: @pat - Yep. you have the right cable. They don't look like they should fit, but they do

Answer 3

I went through this last night. I got the adapter cable [ .../852] and antenna from Adafruit. It appeared to be hard to snap into place, but it did go.
It did not improve performance though when testing signal strength with the Example>Bridge>WiFiStatus

Which leads me to believe that the connector didn't mate -or- I damaged it -or- it isn't the proper connector. I am thinking the latter is the case. Still looking for the answer.

Jim

I bought: 1 ea. RP-SMA to uFL/u.FL/IPX/IPEX RF Adapter Cable 3ドル.95 http://www.adafruit.com/products/852 1 ea. 2.4GHz Dipole Swivel Antenna with RP-SMA - 5dBi 8ドル.95 http://www.adafruit.com/products/945

• Pat: Thanks. That's the cable I have [.../852], and it doesn't work either. I think that's a female connector because of the way it looks. I think I need to purchase this male connector. adafruit.com/products/1532 - I haven't tried it yet though

Answer 4

I have several old mini-pci mini-pcie wifi cards laying around and the poster is correct: for some reason, they put the female end on the board whereas any wifi antenna you pull from a laptop, the cable will be female; all of my cards are the male version of the port on the YUN.

I can actually snap my old wifi cards onto the YUN's antenna port and they snap together perfectly just like the cable does in the laptops they belong.

For hobbyists, an old laptop wifi antennas are something we all have.

Why they did this I don't know.

Answer 5

@Jim was very close, the /851 part is the female to work with that connector. I have an adafruit Flora GPS with the same thing, a male connector on the board. I asked Adafruit for the adapter lead for it and they said the SMA to uFL #851 was what I needed. I just tried it on my shield and it fits.