Choosing an Embedded Antenna

When a client recently asked me if I could provide radiation pattern plots for one of their products, it got me thinking about whether a basic on-site Radiated Measurement System would be beneficial. Measuring the radiation pattern of the antenna allows the designer to determine the directivity and gain performance of the antenna. The resultant plots also provide a straightforward graphical illustration of overall performance, which can be easily conveyed to the client.

​In part two of this blog, I’m going to examine several off-the-self embedded solutions from a variety of antenna manufactures, uncovering some the pitfalls with this antenna type.

I was recently contacted by a client who wanted to design out the semi-embedded, off-the-self, quad-band GSM antenna from their product and move to a fully embedded solution, primarily as part of a cost reduction exercise. When I tested their existing antenna I received a real surprise!

This month, I was planning to tear down the Apple Airpods, however, since this has already been done by the crew at iFixit, I decided look at the opposite end of the wireless earbud market, and tear down the lowest cost earbuds I could find. Enter the X1T at the staggeringly low price of £14.80, new and boxed from ebay.  That’s less than a tenth of the price of the some of the alternative wireless earbud offerings from the larger named brands.  Review As these blogs are primarily hardware

Having done a teardown on the Samsung IconX, I was keen to compare the tech from other earbud vendors. This month, I decided to teardown the VerveOne+

Having spent 14 years in the headset industry, I’m always interested in innovations in the ‘hearables’ space. Here’s teardown of the Iconx earphone.

Is the way manufacturers specify the Bluetooth range performance of their wearables relevant for real world applications? Let’ see.

Antenna size is defined by the laws, not the suggestions of physics. There are many size reduction techniques, but these all result in compromise.

Although I prefer to work from home, where all the equipment is to hand, clients will ask me to work at their offices. Equipment portability is essential