CC-SA is a 50 ohm male SMA plug. The hex-head design fits a 5/16 inch (8 mm) wrench. The center pin solders onto the core wire, providing a low-noise electrical connection. The outer crimp ferrule is sized for the shield and jacket of an RG174, RG316, or similar-size coaxial cable -- the maximum cable size which will fit this connector is about 3mm diameter. Cables with a diameter smaller than 2mm will need heatshrink added around the jacket to add to their diameter and make a secure mechanical connection when crimped.

One of the most common RF and microwave connectors, SMA connectors are often used in RADAR, ham radio base stations, avionics, and other permanent installations. Designed for a few hundred connect/disconnect cycles, they are intended for use in applications which require infrequent disconnection.

SMA connectors are usable at high frequencies; around 12.4 GHz, or as high as 18-24 GHz under ideal conditions. Their design removes air gaps during mating, providing high voltage capacity, an advantage in high-power radio or ultrasound.

SMA stands for "SubMiniature version A"; this family of connectors was originally designed by Bendix in the 1960's, and is described in MIL-C-39012/79/83.

This connector has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, and needs to be mated with 50 ohm coaxial cable in order to prevent signal loss, noise, and/or transmitter damage due to signal reflections at the point of mismatch. 50 ohm coax cable, connectors, and adapters are commonly used in GPS and wifi (802.11 wireless LAN) antennas, ham transceivers, and other radio frequency (RF) analog and digital signaling, microwave, radar, hi-fidelity professional audio, non-destructive testing (NDT), oil and petroleum production, ultrasonic transducers, accelerometers, strain gauges, and some professional video applications.