Sie sind auf Seite 1von 3

APPLICATION NOTE 102

ANTENNA BASICS –
Basic Antenna Design Information

Importance of Antenna Design


The purpose of this document is to give some knowledge as well as a guideline to the de-
sign with antennas. While the antenna is one of the most complicated aspects of RF design,
it is also probably the most overlooked part of an RF design. The range and performance of
an RF link are critically dependent upon the antenna. However, it is often neglected until
the end of the design and expected to fit into whatever space is left, no matter how unfa-
vorable to performance that location may be. Many of these designs will have to ultimately
accept degraded performance or go through multiple redesigns.

The two most popular Antenna Types


a) ¼ Wave Whip:
A whip antenna provides exceptional overall performance and stability, has an isotropic
pattern, a wide bandwidth, it is cheap and it is easily designed. Since a full-wave or even a
half-wave dipole whip is generally quite long, most whips are 1/4 wave.
Note: If one branch of the dipole antenna is replaced by an infinitely (enough) large ground
plane, due to the effect of mirroring, the radiation pattern above the ground plane remains
unaffected and delivers practically quite the same performance of a whole half-wave dipole.
This simple and often the most effective antenna is
also called a quarter-wave mono-pole and is the most
common antenna on today’s portable devices. Since
most devices have a circuit board anyway, using it
for half of the antenna can make a lot of sense.
Generally, this half of the antenna will be connected
to ground and the transmitter or receiver will ref-
erence it accordingly.

b) Helical:
A helical element is a wire coil usually wound from copper, brass or steel. Compared to the
monopole, which is essentially a two-dimensional structure, the helical antenna is a 3-
dimensional-structure but is nothing else as a “shorter quarter wave”. Its radiation pattern
is similar in nature to the monopole. This provides an optimum condition for portable com-
munications. A small helical significantly reduces the physical size of the antenna; however
this reduction is not without a price. Because a helical has a higher Q factor, its bandwidth
is narrower and its ideal gain is as a matter of principle lower than a “full size” quarter-
wave whip. In many cases, the helical antenna will perform as well as the elongated ¼
wave antenna. The distributed capacity of the helical ¼ wave antenna acts as an imped-
ance matching section that is not present in the full size ¼ wave antenna and minimizes
the effect of the underground.

© EnOcean | www.enocean.com Subject to modifications | Christian Bach | September 2008 | Page 1/ 3


APPLICATION NOTE 102

ANTENNA BASICS

What does the Ground Plane have to do with the antenna?


All antennas are resonant RLC networks and like any electronic component, have at least
two connection points. Quarter wave antennas are, in opposite with ½ antennas all ground
dependent, that is, they must have a ground plane to work against. A quarter wave
antenna and ground plane combine to form a complete resonant circuit at the op-erational
frequency. Since this plane is the other half of the antenna, its size and prox-imity are
essential. Often an antenna can appear smaller than its specified wave length. This is due
to internal mechanical tricks, such as helical windings, that can dramatically reduce the
antenna’s physical size. This does not mean that the same size is appropriate for the
ground plane. A compromised ground plane can affect antenna stability, per-formance and
operational frequency.
Please note that the performance of such antennas is critically dependant upon the
counterpoise used as the other half of the antenna. This counterpoise can be a solid copper
fill on a circuit board or a metal enclosure. Since the RF stage is referenced to the circuit
ground, this plane or the enclosure are also connected to ground. The size and shape of the
ground plane counterpoise as well as its location with reference to the antenna will have a
significant impact upon its performance.
Typically, antennas are designed on a counterpoise that is one wavelength in radius. At one
wavelength, the counterpoise will act sufficiently like an infinite plane. This begs the
question “what happens when the ground plane is reduced to something that is practical for
a portable product?” The answer is “quite a bit.” Generally, if the radius of the coun-
terpoise is longer than one wavelength, the performance is close to that of an infinite
counterpoise. If the radius is shorter than one wavelength, the radiation pattern and in-put
impedance are compromised. Significant performance reductions occur however when this
radius is under a quarter-wave.
A common pitfall is also the implementation of the ground plane. As stated earlier, the
ground plane is the other half of the antenna, so it is critical to the final performance of the
product. This means that it is critical to get it right. If the ground plane is either too small,
cut up with traces, through-hole components or Vias, then it is not going to be able to do
its job as an antenna counterpoise.
Another important practical aspect is, that since in the most practical applications it is not
possible to integrate an straight 1/4 wave long whip ideal antenna with ground plane into a
housing, the performance of an even correct selected and matched “standalone” antenna
will be critically affected upon its later custom positioning, shape and housing.

Conclusions:
1. Any piece of conducting material is also an antenna. The antenna efficiency is a critical
component to a system’s performance and should be considered early in the design
process. It should be recognized that data sheet and specifications of a “standalone” an-
tenna will not necessarily reflect its performance in the final product. This is most a re-
sult of design-specific factors, such as those presented here, as well as differing refer-
ences, methods of test, and specification formats among antenna suppliers.
2. An important factor when designing an antenna is also his gain, shape, placement and
orientation. Propagation within buildings is influenced by the following factors: attenua-
tion due walls, reflection and diffraction from walls, ceiling, floor, etc. With this in mind
and because mostly the transmitter has to be mounted at a pre determinated location
(like a wireless light switch on the wall for example), it is the best to mount for example

© EnOcean | www.enocean.com Subject to modifications | Christian Bach | September 2008 | Page 2/ 3


APPLICATION NOTE 102

ANTENNA BASICS

the receiver antenna higher than any obstacle between the transmitter and receiver.
Any metal surfaces that fully or partially surround the antenna will disturb the radiation
pattern.
3. Quarter wavelength whips are good, but should be used only if the final product has an
enough large ground plane and place for the antenna. Small housings and ground
planes makes 1/4 wavelength monopole antennas unstable, and any object close to the
an-tenna changes its performance. The best quarter wavelength whip is almost useless
if it is not straight up or if any object touches it.
4. Other antennas, such as helical or even a 1/8 wavelength monopole may offer a much
better overall performance in this case. A 1/8 wavelength antenna for example has ap-
proximately half the size of a 1/4 wavelength antenna, which makes it attractive for
small designs where it can be easier implemented. Because of the reduced dimensions
their efficiency is lower, but it is not as sensitive to proximity effects as a quarter wave-
length whip. However their design is not so easy, since they have a dominant reactive
element in their impedance that needs to be taken into account in the matching net-
work. A very small antenna cannot be efficient and tolerance-insensitive at the same
time.
5. As a general physical rule, the antenna’s efficiency is directly proportional to its volume,
while the length of an antenna is directly related to the wavelength.
6. For example, a stretched quarter wavelength whip will be basically better as any small
helical, while in a small housing a well designed helical can achieve a better
performance as a poor shaped whip. A well matched helical can achieve an excellent
overall perform-ance while maintaining a very compact size. The helical is therefore
very popular, since well designed it can provide excellent range at very small size.
7. Common problems with antennas usually involve insufficient free space around the an-
tenna. The antenna should not run close to ground plane, shield or any other trace. This
includes also traces on the other side of the board, batteries or any other near metallic
object.

Disclaimer
The information provided in this document describes typical features of the EnOcean radio system and should not
be misunderstood as specified operating characteristics. No liability is assumed for errors and / or omissions. We
reserve the right to make changes without prior notice. For the latest documentation visit the EnOcean website at
www.enocean.com.

© EnOcean | www.enocean.com Subject to modifications | Christian Bach | September 2008 | Page 3/ 3

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen