Radtenna offers a wide range of Antenna and RF design and measurement services, specializing in LTE, LoRaWan, BT, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, and Wearables. Whether you are looking for one-off independent advice to ensure your design is on the right track or you require the design of a fully bespoke antenna or RF system, Radtenna can help.

Design and Measurement Services

Whatever wireless technology your product uses, embedding the antenna into your design can reduce the overall product cost and size. With over 25 years’ experience designing embedded antennas for a variety of companies, technologies, and products, from signal frequency applications such as Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, Sigfox, and LoRa to multiband GSM, 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, and UWB systems, Radtenna can provide the solution to meet your needs.

For more information regarding Custom Antenna Design please see the Custom Antenna Design page.

For an overview of some recent Radtenna projects, see the Recent Projects page.

Embedded Antenna Design

Antenna Tuning

No matter how much effort is put into the design stage, when the first prototypes are produced there will be variables which are likely to cause some divergence from theoretical performance. Variations in the antenna substrate and case plastic dielectric, together with the influence of other close structures, such as batteries and connectors, can combine to detune the antenna away from the intended frequency. Correctly tuning the antenna for its real-world environment is therefore an essential part of product development.

Unless your NFC reader circuit/antenna layout closely replicates that of the reference design, it’s unlikely that the antenna will be optimally tuned. Changing the antenna layout, size, adding a cable extension, or locating the coil near other metal parts often results in notable range degradation or variability. Radtenna have extensive experience with all the major NFC reader IC’s and matching circuit topologies, including ST Microelectronics CHR95HF and STM25 range, NXP’s PN5xxx and PN7xxx portfolio. We can rematch your existing antenna or design a custom antenna solution.

NFC Coil Matching

Antenna Performance Measurement

To fully understand the performance of an antenna, it’s important to measure the radiated performance. This is best achieved using a fully anechoic chamber, which removes unwanted reflections that would otherwise disrupt the measurement.

Radtenna provides in-house Antenna Testing Services to characterize the antenna’s radiated performance. The key performance parameters measured include: peak gain, gain versus angle, efficiency, directivity, polarization, and the 2D or 3D far field radiation patterns. The fully Anechoic test chamber and associated measurement equipment operate within the 0.4GHz to 8GHz frequency range and is therefore suitable for measuring antenna performance for a vast range of wireless technologies.

For more information regarding Antenna Measurement Services, please see the Antenna Measurement Services page.

The new range of Radtenna, PCB-based antennas are designed to bridge the gap between high performance externally mounted solutions and ceramic chip antennas. These antennas offer a low cost, discrete, form factor friendly alternative to external antennas, whilst providing the benefits of wider bandwidths and higher efficiency than the typical ceramic chip options. The antennas are fully characterized, and detailed datasheets are available. Custom variants to suit your product’s form factor and operating frequency(s) can be designed subject to NRE charges. Full design in support and characterization is available for volume applications.

Please see the Products page for further information.

Antenna Products

If you're not sure what type of antenna will work best with your product concept or whether an off the shelf or bespoke design will be more suitable, I can provide completely independent analysis and recommendations. I can help with specifications, recommend suppliers/design houses, and provide integration and test support. Whether you require a one-off consultation to set you on the correct path or full design cycle support, I would be happy to discuss your requirements.

For help preparing for the embedded antenna design for an upcoming project, please read the Radtenna Embedded Antenna Design Guide.

Independent Consulting

With a strong background in developing Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, DECT, Wi-Fi, and UWB consumer electronics; from initial concept, prototype, pilot production to providing ongoing support in full production, I can provide the design and development support to meet your project needs. I have specific expertise in the design of RF, analogue, and digital circuits and productization of small consumer/IOT devices and wearables.

I have a myriad of contacts and partners throughout the industry, who can provide firmware development, mechanical design, PCB design, and manufacture/assembly.

RF Circuit and System Design

Although Radtenna does not directly offer Antenna production services, we work closely with some of the UK’s leading antenna manufacturers and distributors. Jointly, we can offer a complete design to volume manufacturing solution for your bespoke requirements.