KYOCERA AVX released the innovative new surface-mount, on-ground, ultra-wideband (UWB) LDS Tulip antenna (9002305L0-L01K) for 6.0–8.5GHz applications to market at Embedded World North America.
While introduced at Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany, on April 9, 2024, where an independent judging panel of esteemed electronics specialists and industry thought leaders selected it as the recipient of a 2024 Electronics Specifier Electronics Excellence Award, stock — including samples — was just made available through DigiKey and Mouser.
The novel new UWB LDS Tulip antenna is manufactured using laser direct structuring (LDS) technology. This process allows KYOCERA AVX to create conductive traces on complex 3D structures with unique patterns and develop antennas that deliver numerous advantages, including substantial space and weight savings, unparalleled precision and accuracy, and optimized performance. As a result, the new Tulip antenna functions as both an on-board and on-ground antenna characterized by an omnidirectional radiation pattern with outstanding 360° phase stability, constant group delay, and linear polarization — all of which play a crucial role in signal reconstruction and further improve the accuracy of low-energy, short-range, and high-bandwidth UWB systems.
Its superior group delay and phase distribution characteristics improve the accuracy of the phase difference of arrival (PDoA), which translates into improved system-level services, such as angle of arrival (AoA) and time of flight (ToF), maximizes the precision of device localization in space, and ensures secure communication with said device. Further, given its on-ground capabilities, it can be placed anywhere on a PCB, including the middle of the board and over metal, enabling enhanced design flexibility compared to strictly off-ground antennas, which require ground clearance and, as such, are placed along the perimeters of PCBs.
The UWB LDS Tulip antenna has a small form factor that measures 6.40 x 6.40 x 5.58mm, weighs ~0.1g, and supports SMT pick-and-place assembly. It is also compliant with the latest versions of the RoHS and REACH regulations and optimized for 6.0–8.5GHz UWB applications, such as smart city, mobility, retail, asset tracking, healthcare, fitness, security, handheld, and connectivity operations, including telematics and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
When installed on a 40 x 40mm PCB, the UWB LDS Tulip antenna typically exhibits 2ns maximum group delay, 4.3dBi peak gain, 2W continuous wave (CW) power handling, and 61% average efficiency.
The antenna is also patented and produced in South Korea.