RangeAnt has created a family of 700MHz to 3GHz antennas, designed primarily for cellular, IoT and GNSS applications.
“They feature free-space efficiency of between 80 and 90% and a VSWR below 2:1 across the operating bands,” according to the company. “The high efficiency delivers greater range for available transmitter power, or a lower transmitter power can be used for a given link range.”
Called ‘Max’, the company is aiming the antennas at: Bluetooth, Zigbee, sub-GHz, LoRa, Sigfox, Weightless, Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, NB-IoT and GPS/GNSS.
The family consists of two devices, with subtly different frequency characteristics: RA150-CX1 has a 150mm RG178 flying lead with a male SMA connector on the end, while RA150-IPX has a IPX connector directly on the antenna. Both are PCB-based, measuring 150 x 37 x 0.8mm plus extra height for the central connection.
Internally, the patented boards are double-sided, with different conductor patterns each side. They are omnidirectional, functioning as monopoles up to 1.6GHz and dipoles above that.
Full performance is achieved without the use of a separate ground plane, said RangeAnt, so the antenna can be integrated into a product without taking a ground plane into consideration. They are designed for a 50Ω match in free space but can require additional matching components when packaged.
Imaginatively, the company has printed VSWR, efficiency and return-loss data on the blank antenna surface.
Digi-Key Electronics is stocking the parts.
RangeAnt is a spin-off from the Swedish design centre ShortLink. It has created antenna designs for Motorola, Ericsson, Nokia and Apple, it said.
The Max antenna produc page can be found here, and the data sheet here.
