Antenova Invicta SRFW082 antenna

Antenova Ltd, a manufacturer of antennas and RF antenna modules for IoT and M2M, has released Invicta SRFW082, a compact and efficient antenna for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ZigBee frequencies at 2.4–2.5 GHz. The antenna averages efficiency of 70% across the 2.4 GHz band. Consequently, designs using this antenna can operate better, over longer distances and through walls and obstacles, thus extending the coverage and performance of wireless devices using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and ZigBee.

The flexible printed circuit (FPC) antenna is easy to place in a design and connects directly to the PCB via a cable and IPX MHF (UFL) connector. The antenna comes with 100 mm cable as standard and other cable lengths and connector options are available on request. An FPC antenna is different to an SMD antenna in that it operates independent to a ground plane length and no antenna matching is required, so the design cycle for Invicta is simpler and shorter. The FPC antenna also makes for easier manufacturing, as it is fixed in place by a self-adhesive strip and can be curved and inserted into the case of a design. This style of antenna is suitable for small to medium volume manufacturing.

The antenna is designed primarily for smart battery-powered devices for the home and office, where one single device provides global coverage. Typical applications in the home would be smart meters, home automation, wireless sensor networks and smoke and intruder alarms. It could also be used for remote monitoring in industrial and medical environments. The antenna is designed to perform better than PCB trace antennas, while providing performance and range in return for taking up a relatively small space in a design.