U.FL Holder UFL Male Connector 50 PCS RF Coaxial Connector Antenna Element Base Solder for PCB Mount Socket Jack Female Antenna Wireless LAN Cable Radio External Antenna

U.FL male (also called U.FL plug) is the PCB-mounted component — it has a center pin and snap-on outer shell that sits flush on the board surface. U.FL female (also called U.FL jack or receptacle) is the cable-end connector found on pigtail cables — it snaps over the male connector's outer body to make the connection. This product contains U.FL male connectors for soldering onto PCBs. The pigtail cables that plug into them (U.FL female to SMA, U.FL female to MMCX, etc.) are separate products.

The U.FL male connector has four ground pads on its outer shell and one center signal pad. On a PCB designed for U.FL, the footprint has corresponding copper pads and a cleared keep-out zone beneath the connector body. For reflow soldering, apply solder paste to the pads, place the connector with tweezers, and reflow at standard SMD temperatures. For hand soldering, use a fine-tipped iron (under 1mm tip) at approximately 300°C — tack one corner ground pad first to anchor the connector, then solder the remaining pads. Work quickly to avoid lifting the pads, as the large ground plane dissipates heat rapidly.

U.FL, IPEX, IPX, and MHF1 are all names for the same connector standard — they are fully interchangeable. Hirose U.FL is the original manufacturer's designation; IPEX is a major alternative manufacturer of the same connector; IPX and MHF1 are trade names used by various suppliers. Any U.FL female pigtail cable will snap onto these connectors regardless of which name was used to describe it. The only variant that is NOT compatible is MHF4, which is a smaller connector (1.5mm OD versus 2.0mm for U.FL) used on M.2 NGFF WiFi cards.

U.FL connectors are rated for approximately 30 mating cycles — significantly fewer than SMA (500 cycles) or N-type (500+ cycles). This low cycle rating is intentional: U.FL is designed for permanent or semi-permanent internal antenna connections in finished products, not for connectors that are frequently disconnected. For applications requiring frequent antenna swaps, the pigtail cable's SMA or BNC end (rated for 500 cycles) should be used as the connection point, with the U.FL end remaining permanently connected to the board.

The standard U.FL PCB footprint has a center signal pad of approximately 0.6mm diameter surrounded by four ground pads on the connector body perimeter, with a total land pattern of approximately 3.4×3.4mm. Most PCB design software (KiCad, Altium, Eagle) includes U.FL footprints in their standard libraries under manufacturer designations such as Hirose U.FL-R-SMT or equivalent. A ground plane keep-out directly under the connector body is recommended to avoid unintended capacitance between the connector shell and board copper.

For PCB designers and electronics manufacturers, 50 pieces is a practical minimum stock quantity. U.FL connectors are consumed in every board build and may need replacement if a connector is damaged during assembly or testing. Having stock on hand avoids production delays from waiting for a single reorder. For hobbyists building multiple drone flight controllers, IoT nodes, or wireless modules, the 50-piece pack provides enough connectors for dozens of boards at a per-unit cost significantly lower than purchasing individually.