Antenova Agosti corner-placement antenna

Antenova has added to its range of miniature surface mount designed (SMD) antennas and modules for GNSS applications. The Agosti antenna measures 9 x 5.8 x 1.7 mm and operates with high efficiency in a small space on a corner of a PCB.

The advantage of the antenna lies in its small ground plane requirement. Most SMD antennas use the surface of the PCB around the antenna as a ground plane to radiate signal from, so it is the ground plane requirement, not the physical dimensions of the antenna, that defines the space it needs. Radiated measurement results show the product operates well on small ground planes of 40 x 20, 70 x 25 and 80 x 30 mm, making it suitable for small-form-factor designs.

The antenna offers designers several layout options, as it can be placed on a corner of the PCB. It is designed to integrate and co-exist with other antennas within the same device, as onboard diagnostics (OBDs) and trackers often use 4G/LTE with A-GPS for fall-back. The product has been tested with Antenova’s Pharoah antenna, and can operate in close proximity in a small device without the 4G signal interfering with sensitive GNSS signals.

Patch antennas are typically 12 or 14 mm², are heavier than SMD antennas and need a much larger ground plane and keep-out area. They also have to be placed in the centre of a circuit board and only work well when they point at the sky. Antenova’s SMD antennas are designed to overcome these limitations and to perform regardless of the position and orientation of the device. The Agosti’s small ground plane and good isolation make it suitable for small wearable devices, trackers and OBDs which move around freely, offering the advantages of being omnidirectional and small.