Two other key mechanical characteristics the connector possesses is the ability to withstand large axial and side loads. Both of these loads can occur during general handling and in complex routing of cable assemblies in certain applications. Stress from large bundles of cable can easily translate forces into the connector interface. In the first test used to determine the mechanical robustness, a Zwick Roell tensile tester applied a direct axial pull force to cabled plugs with the jack connector fixed. The force of failure or connector separation without manipulation of the coupling mechanism was recorded. General specifications for BNC connectors including IEC and MIL define a minimum coupling strength of 100 lbs. (450N). See the graph for further detail. The HD-BNC™ met the industry standards for BNC; however, the 1.0/2.3 fell very short of the general specification. The second test was completed using the same test equipment, but this time with an applied side load at a fixed distance from a panel fixture was included. A fixed pin was used to eliminate variability of connector length to isolate the interface strength alone. Pulling on the cable would have been unfair to the longer connector which in this case was the 1.0/2.3. See the graph for further detail. The graph shows that the HD-BNC™ achieved 63% greater side load resistance. Both of these tests illustrate how a real world environment could generate performance concerns not expected from the established BNC product. It is certainly important to consider the robustness of the product when selecting a high density interface.