When it comes to IoT devices, there is a growing demand for compact antennas that enable small device designs. An increasing number of IoT devices are entering the market, with many of these becoming increasingly smaller. These antennas must be able to maintain decent performance with minimal space, as well as bring simplicity when it comes to integration.
Enter Lama, one of the smallest FPC antennas that offers simple integration and high performance for small IoT device designers. So, what are the features of FPC antennas and why should you be interested in Lama?
FPC antennas
Many IoT devices with compact size suffer the problem of limited available PCB and ground plane space. A ground plane refers to the space required for an antenna to function efficiently, which needs to be a quarter of the size of the lowest wavelength. With small and ultra-small IoT devices, ground planes can become a significant integration issue for device designers.
FPC or flexible PCB antennas function as an alternative option for device designers that do not have available PCB space for an antenna ground plane. FPC antennas have a ground plane on the antennas themselves and can be placed freely inside a device housing using an adhesive strip. They consist of a thin strip of polymer and copper that is flexible and bendable, making FPC antennas simple to implement across a wide range of frequency bands.
Lama
Antenova has developed a new FPC antenna for compact IoT devices, Lama. This flexible PCB/FPC antenna is unique through being smaller (35x10x0.15mm) than competitor FPC antennas whilst having excellent dual band performance in the 863-870MHz and 902-928MHz bands. As Lama is high performing in these two frequency bands, it can be easily integrated into devices in both Europe and North America.
Lama directly targets the growing number of M2M and IoT applications using the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency bands. Due to its features of compact size, dual band connection and high performance, Lama is the perfect choice of antenna for these industries. Lama is also a fitting choice for smart city applications due to its low power consumption that can extend the battery life of devices in a sensor network. These features extend to many other compact applications such as smart streetlights, smart metering and agriculture, whilst enjoying the benefit of easier integration than other competitor antennas.
Integrating Lama into your device
Even though Lama has simple and easy integration, there are still factors such as frequency bands that need to be considered for your specific device. Antenova has implemented our own Integration Hub with flexible PCB/FPC antennas like Lama to make sure you can fully integrate them into your device.
Click below to use our Integration Hub and make sure you can enjoy the benefits of the compact and high performing Lama for your IoT device.
