Antenova, a UK-based manufacturer of antennas and RF modules for M2M and IoT, has launched a new low-profile antenna displaying strong performance on both Europe’s 868 MHz bands and the US 915 MHz bands. The new antenna is named ‘Lama’, part number SRFI065. It was developed for small connected devices operating on LP-WAN networks including LoRa, Sigfox, Wi-SUN, and MIoTy. This antenna uses the ISM frequencies in Europe and America or both, which means that one product design can be sold in both US and European markets.
Lama is a particularly small antenna, making it suited to designs with limited real estate. It is a flexible printed circuit (FPC) antenna measuring 35 x 10 x 0.15 mm, supplied with a standard 100 mm RF cable with an I-PEX MHF connector. This shape allows it to be mounted in several different ways in a design. The antenna performed equally well in tests for the 868 MHz and 915 MHz bands, showing a peak efficiency at 60%, and a maximum VSWR of 1.5:1 for both frequency bands.
The LP-WAN networks, also known as ISM, use frequencies 863 - 870 MHz in Europe and 902 - 928 MHz in the US. They are license-free bands that are typically used to connect large fleets of low-powered devices which transmit small packets of data across large physical distances at low bit rates. These characteristics make the Lama antenna a good choice for small networked devices operating across wide geographic areas in IoT applications.
The Lama antenna, therefore, targets the fast-growing markets in smart agriculture, smart cities, and tracking. Lama will suit agricultural applications using cloud-connected sensors to measure ground moisture or temperature or to track livestock, e.g. cattle. It will also suit remote-controlled applications such as meter reading, environmental monitoring, and connected services in smart cities controlling street lighting, parking sensors, or waste bins. In other IoT sectors, the Lama antenna fits commercial applications in cold chain transport, distribution, logistics, and tracking of goods and containers.
Antenova’s Michael Castle commented: “The Lama antenna targets these growing markets which will need large volumes of devices on all continents of the world. For example, we estimate there could be 45 million connected street lights worldwide by 2025.” Like all of Antenova’s embedded antennas, Lama is designed for easy integration into a design.
Click here to learn more about Antenova's Lama antenna.
