You can’t have a successful wireless application without a good antenna. In many designs, this mysterious mechanical part is a nuisance and often an afterthought. In modern embedded designs like cell phones and short-range data-acquisition applications, placing the antenna is always a critical design decision. Furthermore, as more designs operate over a wide range of frequencies, can one antenna do the job? The answers usually are sometimes and maybe. Some new designs from Taoglas may help solve the wireless designer’s problems, though.

For example, the company’s PA-25 hexa-band (yes, six bands) antenna covers all the major cellular frequencies in the U.S. and Europe, including 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, and 2100 MHz—a real achievement (see the figure, below). With cell phones transitioning from older to newer technology, many new models cover multiple bands and technologies for backward compatibility. This antenna covers them all.

The PA-25 is a surface-mount ceramic antenna with an efficiency of over 50% on all six bands. Measuring only 36 by 5 by 6 mm, it’s designed to be mounted near the edge of a printed-circuit board. Also, it’s immune to loading and detuning by nearby objects. The high efficiency for an antenna of this type helps improve receiver sensitivity and transmitter output while lowering power consumption. The PA-25 is a successor to Taoglas’ PA-22 tri-band antenna, which used an inverted F design.

Besides its application in cell phones, the PA-25 has great potential in the machine-to-machine (M2M) marketplace, where cellular units are embedded in other equipment for a variety of data collection and control applications. These include location-based services, telematics, vehicle and asset tracking, telemedicine, and automotive applications.

Taoglas also offers a variety of antennas for cellular M2M and the smart-meter energy market. Its FXP series is designed for use in smart meters that monitor and in some cases control energy usage in the home, as the utility uses wireless to conduct the telemetry and control. The unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands of 868 and 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz are widely used in smart meters. 

The company claims over 60% efficiency for the FXP antennas, which should help utilities read meters in remote locations where antennas previously did not work well, such as basements, parking garages, and underground. Mechanically robust, the antennas can withstand extreme temperature and humidity. They have a proven long life as well. The FXP antennas are made on a super-thin 0.1-mm flexible plastic with adhesive that can be stuck directly to the housing of a meter or mounted internally.

The PA-25 and FXP antennas are available immediately.

Taoglas Ltd.