NeoCortec, the manufacturer of innovative Sub-GHz mesh-net modules, ordered a study on DIY PCB antennas from Harald Naumann in order to understand the behaviours of PCB antennas and to advise their customers. Three very well-known layouts for PCB antennas were analysed and optimised and the results presented in an 80 A4 page report. The study is available to all IoT developers free of charge and will help them to avoid design mistakes. The by-product of the hundreds of simulations carried out for the study is a semi-automatic antenna software generator that outputs antenna designs under the the LYnax series trademark.
The low-cost, compact and highly efficient Aleen PCB antenna is part of the basic LYanx antenna kit. The licence is Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The cost of the commercial licence is about 600 Euros, including the simulation based on the standard model. The dimensions of the PCB and the enclosure are adapted according to the customer’s specifications. The antennas of the LYanx series are simulated on the basis of standard models at extremely low cost. The result is always a customised antenna for a price-sensitive wireless IoT design. Other simulations are available on request. The antenna has 0 USD cost in acquisition, 0 days delivery time, never suffers end of life and has an extremely wide temperature range.
Unlike classic chip antennas, DIY PCB antennas have no subsequent purchasing costs. There is no minimum order quantity for DIY PCB antennas. The licence is settled with a one-off payment for the design.
The DXF files are handed over at the end of the simulation together with a comprehensive report containing the S1P files. From the S1P files, we generate return loss, VSWR, Smith Chart and efficiency. We also add data on the losses in the PCB, antenna and enclosure, as well as the radiated power. The Gerber data is transferred to the customer’s PCB.
The final modification/adjustment can be done by the customer or the Crout team as an additional service.
The standard antennas can be easily adapted to frequencies from 100 MHz to 10 GHz. If none of the standard models meets the requirements, customised antennas in the form of PCB antennas, chip antennas and many other types of antennas are possible choices, all available from Crout.
Where there is light, there is also shade. DIY PCB antennas usually require more board space than chip antennas. In the study, simple antenna structures for one frequency band are analysed and explained. A dual band antenna for NB-IoT and LTE-M is also explained in the study. Building an antenna for Sub-GHz 798-960 MHz and simultaneous receiving for 1750-1900 MHz as a planar PCB antenna is possible, and already involves a little more effort. Whether a PCB antenna increases frequency bands or an inexpensive chip antenna is the better solution should be clarified on a case-by-case basis with your Crout antenna consultant.
Advantages of the DIY PCB antenna
- 0 USD bill of materials costs
- 0 USD for assembly
- 0 USD for the adaptation circuit
- 0 days delivery time
- Never end of life
- High quality & customised
- Temperature range -50 °C to + 110 °C
Crout antenna services for any brand
- Antenna matching
- Antenna consulting
- Customised antennas, any type
- IoT product feasibility studies
- Design of IoT product prototypes
- Designs for mass production
- Workshops F2F & remote
- Antenna seminars and webinars
- MegiQ VNA and RMS sales with hands-on training
- Remote layout support
- Radio certification pre-tests
