Feature: IIoT
Figure 1: The VSWR-return loss as measured by a vector network analyser
An essential guide to antenna design and IoT modules
By Edoardo Genovese, Technical Development Manager RF, TTI Europe
W
ireless connectivity is an essential part of our daily lives, with an increasing number of products out in the market. T ey include smartphones, laptops, medical devices, industrial IoT devices, vehicle-to-everything (V2X)
communications, gateways, medical devices and more. With this proliferation of connectivity comes an intense need for highly effi cient antenna solutions. At the same time, the industrial design is moving toward thinner and smaller devices, whereas the number of antennas is increasing with the demand for a
22 March 2025
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
broader frequency band. T is is a huge challenge from an antenna point of view. T is article explains how various antenna solutions can help you overcome these challenges.
Parametres to consider when specifying an antenna Antenna effi ciency When looking at a datasheet for an off -the-shelf antenna, what are the main specifi cations to consider? T e fi rst one is the antenna effi ciency, namely the ratio of the total radiated power from the radio to the input power of the antenna. For example, if you have 1 W input power and the antenna radiates 0.5 W, the effi ciency is 50 percent, which can be specifi ed as -3 dB. Of course, the goal is to have an effi ciency that is as high as possible.
Gain T e second parameter to consider is the antenna gain, which shows how much power is transmitted in the direction of the peak radiation compared to a so-called isotropic source. T e isotropic source is a theoretical point source that generates a uniform radiation pattern in all directions over a sphere centred on the source. For directional antennas like a satellite dish for your TV that
transmits in just one direction, if you turn it by a fraction, you will lose the signal. On the other hand, you may have omnidirectional antennas like the dipoles - these are lower gain antennas because the energy is spread around a bigger portion of space. So, of course, depending on what you want to achieve, you may want to look for a very high gain antenna, but sometimes it is better, in terms of coverage, to have a lower gain antenna.
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