Types of IoT Antennas, how to choose and from where to get ?

by Author · Published September 19, 2017 · Updated December 25, 2017

Internet of Things(IoT) is a booming market. Day by day IoT modules are becoming smaller and demand for incorporating more than one wireless technologies is increasing. This has increased the demand for IoT antennas compliant to IoT modules.

Antennas are often overlooked in the wireless design, though often this is the deciding factor in whether your device passes or fails certification. Antenna selection is the first step to a certified product.

IoT applications are widely used for consumer and industrial markets for varied purpose such as computations, sensing as well as connecting things within the region. In this page we will cover IoT antennas of various types. These IoT topologies will help IoT module designers make right choice of antenna.

Table of Contents

The types of IoT antennas

Chip Antenna

Best option for small form factors and for lower frequencies, good for large productions due to low reproducibility issues. Chip antennas have low efficiencies and low bandwidth compare to other IoT antennas at the same frequencies. They need external matching components inspite of having internal matching circuitry. They are sensitive to geometries related to ground plane.

Wire Antenna

Wire Antenna is very low cost, highly accessible and flexible in design. It requires electromagnetic simulation for best optimized design. The size of antenna increases based on decrease in the frequency, The prototype design of this antenna is very cost effective which helps in testing many versions during design and development of wire antenna.

Whip Antenna

Costliest among all the IoT antenna type, highest performance and ideal when IoT module faces cosite issues due to multiple transceivers. Need connector on the board of the module. Need coaxial cable from PCB to antenna module. This antenna type requires emission testing to be performed.

PCB Antenna

This antenna is part of the pattern on the PCB. It is lower in cost and flexible in design. PCB antennas are available from lower to higher frequency range. Free reference designs widely available.

Important parameters to choose

Shape and sizeof antenna
To check Mounting option, whether it is RF connector mount, or PCB mount etc.
Frequency of operation
Coverage requirement
Omni-directional or directional operation
Cost of Antenna
Gain of Antenna

Antenna Manufacturers

Here is a list of few IoT antenna manufacturers. For initial phase of IoT development, one can directly buy IoT antenna from these manufacturers or one can place a sample request for 1 or 2 antennas.

Advance Tech Corporation
Anaren
Arduino
Digi Internationals
DFRobot
Laird Technologies
Silicon Labs
Sparkfun Electronics
TDK Corporation
TE Connectivity
Vishay Vitramon
Wurth Electronics
Yageo