Perfect your innovation with antenna design

Are you designing an IoT device? Complete your design with wireless performance.

Original text in finnish MARJAANA TUNTURI | Image ANNI TAPIO

Finnish antenna design company Radientum’s technical consultant and account manager, Matti Uusimäki, is unhappy with the situations he and his colleagues encounter regularly. The design for a new, smart-looking IoT device is complete, but antennas have been completely forgotten.

– An antenna is not a block that can be glued on the device afterwards. It is unfortunate to notice that almost completed device will not function in the way it is supposed to. In the worst case, a change in device appearance is necessary to achieve the connectivity target. We always try to find multiple solutions and provide various options for any necessary changes in a device, Uusimäki notes.

The functionality of a wireless connection is affected by many small and sometimes surprising features in the device’s structure or operating environment. Attached to a wooden surface, a remote-controlled terrace awning can function flawlessly; attached to metal, it may not function at all.

Antenna design is a world of its own in which experienced designers look for connectivity performance for the devices and solves most demanding situations with the help of computer simulations.

– The antenna is a wireless IoT device’s only connection to the outside world. When designing things, it is important to think the use case through first. Devices cannot be updated once a year in the same way as software, Uusimäki says.

The best solutions from wide experience

An antenna design process starts with looking for a radio-technology solution suitable for a wireless device. The solution is chosen based on the device’s operating environment, communication distance, required battery life, and size. Should the device function over a distance of several kilometers, or will the user be sitting next to the device? Can the device be large and heavy, will it stay in one place, or should it be portable?

Radientum’s 20-person engineering team has experience implementing antenna solutions in all environments: underwater, in the sky, in concrete structures, in heavy-use excavator teeth and industrial kitchens, and on human bodies – both under and on the skin. Radientum has a broad clientele, and 85 percent of its turnover comes from international clients. Radientum’s clients could have an in-house antenna design team, but they want additional support from Radientum.

– Our strength is our extensive experience and the fact that we can focus on antenna solutions design. Our versatile collaborations guarantee that we do not get stuck looking at the solutions from one perspective only, Uusimäki continues.

The Radientum team hopes for two things: more appreciation of antenna solutions and proactive concept design regarding wireless IoT solutions. Solution simulations guarantee a successful process with no need for multiple iterations.

– Our experts help you decide whether your idea is feasible. If your innovation is brilliant, we are happy to join you in designing solutions, even for seemingly impossible ideas, Uusimäki concludes.