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Antenna Implementation
About certification compliance for customer-designed RF circuits and antennas
This document describes important points regarding certification compliance for customer-designed wireless circuits and antennas.
- When certification is obtained by our company and design information is provided to the customer
- Please perform design and production according to the technical information submitted by our company at the time of certification.
- Our certified business partner has been provided with technical information about the RF circuits and antennas. We will present the customer with essential requirements for certification and comments related to performance based on this technical information.
- There may be differences of opinion between the certified business partner and other views. In the unlikely event that problems arise due to these differing opinions, our company and the certified business partner will provide information based on the technical information at the time of certification, but the following actions will not be taken:
- Conducting negotiations or equivalent actions.
- Compensation arising from these issues.
- For overseas certification, please verify compliance status by yourself.
- Requirements for overseas certification may be updated. Please refer to the latest information at that time.
- We cannot provide a final opinion on the appropriateness of your design and implementation.
- When the customer designs independently
- In most cases, certification is required for independent designs.
- To facilitate smooth handling of technical documents related to certification, we generally guide you to our designated business partners. Please contact us for details.
1 - Implementation of Inverted-F Antenna
Notes on implementing an inverted-F antenna
This document describes important notes regarding the radio certification of the inverted-F pattern antenna (TWELITE-SMD-ANT-REVF).
Requirements
The following conditions must be satisfied.
- Wiring must be done according to the pattern and through-holes as per the design data.
- Do not modify areas marked as no-change (DO NOT WIRE) in the design data.
- The specified printed circuit board must be used.
- Please specify a 1mm thickness to the PCB manufacturer.
- (If a thickness other than 1mm is required, please refer to the notes below.)
- Due to dielectric properties, glass epoxy (FR-4) must be specified. Other materials are not allowed.
- Layer structure must be double-sided or 4-layer.
- There are no specific requirements for solder mask color or silkscreen.
- Confirm that manufacturing and assembly are performed as per the design.
- There should be no design deviations exceeding commonly accepted tolerances.
- The wireless module must be properly mounted.
GND Area
The inverted-F antenna consists of an inverted-F shaped element and a GND pattern directly beneath the module. The area of the GND pattern significantly affects performance. The optimal size is between 20x20 mm and 40x40 mm.
Wiring
The inverted-F antenna is sensitive to external wiring. For example, wireless tags such as TWELITE CUE that place a coin cell holder on the GND surface without external wiring can achieve near-ideal performance.
If some wiring must be routed on the GND surface, keep it to a minimum. For example, having just one wire passing through generally has negligible impact.
We offer a paid service to measure wireless performance (gain, etc.) on customer-designed boards.
Especially for inverted-F pattern antennas, performance may fall below expectations depending on the parent board and wiring conditions. Measuring allows you to verify whether the design roughly meets expected values.
If your policy requires strict performance evaluation such as maximum gain, please conduct measurements at official sites (e.g., authorized testing facilities) that provide certified results.
Certification Status
Japan
Applicable Modules
Requirements
Must satisfy the above requirements.
North America (FCC)
Please ensure compliance yourself regarding overseas certifications.
Applicable Modules
Requirements
- Must satisfy the above requirements.
- Other requirements such as labeling should follow FCC rules.
Europe (EU)
Please ensure compliance yourself regarding overseas certifications.
Applicable Modules
Requirements
- Must satisfy the above requirements.
- Other requirements such as labeling should follow CE rules.
Other Regions
No certification support.
About PCB Thickness
This design specifies an FR-4 1mm thick PCB. This thickness is the basis for radio certification approval, so using a different thickness will result in loss of certification.
However, for Japan domestic certification only, the following PCB thicknesses are also approved:
- t=0.5mm (Not approved for overseas certifications obtained by us)
- t=0.8mm (Not approved for overseas certifications obtained by us)
- t=1.6mm (Not approved for overseas certifications obtained by us)
Since the antenna pattern is optimized for t=1mm, characteristics will slightly change. However, the change is usually very minor. Characteristic patterns on PCBs sized according to the ideal GND size show changes of about 1 to 3 dB.
2 - Implementation of SMA Connector
Notes on implementing an SMA connector
This document provides important notes regarding the radio certification of the SMA connector (TWELITE-SMD-SMA-CONN).
Requirements
Common
- Wire according to the pattern and through-holes as specified in the design data
- Do not modify areas marked as “No wiring, DO NOT WIRE” in the design data
- Use the specified printed circuit board
- Specify a thickness of 1mm to the PCB manufacturer
- Due to dielectric constant considerations, use glass epoxy (FR-4); other materials are not allowed
- Layer structure should be double-sided or 4-layer
- There are no specific requirements for solder resist color or silk screen
- Confirm that manufacturing and assembly are according to the design
- Ensure no design deviations exceed commonly cited tolerances
- Confirm that the wireless module is properly mounted
- Use the specified connector
Specified Connector
Certification Status
Japan
Target Modules
Requirements
- Must satisfy the above requirements
North America (FCC)
No certification support.
Europe (EU)
No certification support.
Other Regions
No certification support.
3 - Implementation of Wire Antenna
Notes on implementing a wire antenna
You can create an antenna using a wire with a diameter of φ=0.8mm or less.
It can be bent arbitrarily for use, but performance may significantly decrease compared to when it is upright. To maintain antenna performance, please refer to “Wire Antenna Bending Patterns.” (Keep dimensional differences within 0.5mm.)