This document discusses different types of Internet of Things (IoT) antennas. It begins by explaining that IoT antennas are used for wireless communication between connected devices and are one of two core components of IoT networks, along with wireless modules. It then describes five main types of IoT antennas: (1) Radio Frequency Identification antennas, (2) wearable and implantable antennas, (3) multi-physical quantity sensor antennas, (4) energy harvesting antennas, and (5) on-chip package antennas. It also discusses additional IoT antenna types including external antennas, low-frequency communication antennas, and embedded antennas like ceramic, PCB, flexible PCB, and spring antennas. The document is authored by C&

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What Are The IoT Antenna Types?
After reading, you will learn what is an IoT antenna, what are the IoT antenna types.
What is an IoT antenna?
The Internet of Things/IoT antenna is used in communication media that is connected to each
other, IoT antenna is one of the two core components of the Internet of Things communications.
The first one is the wireless module, the second one is the IoT antenna, the two components
directly determine the quality of the communication network, such as the distance from the
communication, the net network is fast, the network is stable, and the network is stable.
Internet of Things (IoT) devices need to have an antenna. The smaller the IoT device space, the
more the frequency band and the more complex IoT antenna design. Internet of Things/IoT
antenna includes NB-IoT antenna, 4G antenna, 5G antenna, GSM antenna, Lora antenna, GPRS
antenna, UMTS antenna, Lora antenna, ISM antenna, GNSS antenna, WiFi antenna, GPS antenna,
etc.
What are the IoT antenna types?
According to the use of functions, it mainly has the below 5 IoT antenna types.
(1) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) antenna of IoT antenna types
RFID is the most important thing for the Internet of Things. One of the most commonly used IoT
communication technologies.
The high-performance RFID antenna is one of the most common IoT antenna types, the RFID
antenna application coverage is also the most widely used to solve the perception, reading, and

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identification problem of various objectives and status of the Internet of wireless sensing
environment.
(2) Wearable antenna and implantable antenna of IoT antenna types
Body domain network (BAN) based on wearable and implantable communication is one of the
important tip forms of the Internet of Things, which utilizes wearable antenna or implanted
antennas, pick and transmit a variety of Signature information, solve the reliable communication
problem between people to machine, people to people.
The wearable antenna and implantable are used in military communications, security rescue,
health care, medical diagnosis, and treatment applications, etc.
(3) The Multi-physical quantity sensor antenna of IoT antenna types
Integrating various advanced functional materials on the antenna, the sensor antenna can map
different physical quantities into an antenna electrical parameter, so that the antenna has a
variety of physical quantities such as humidity, temperature, gas/liquid concentration, and force.
The Multi-physical quantity sensor antennas can solve the effective picking, accurate perception,
and sensing measurement of the ultimate, non-electrical information of the tip of the Internet of
Things.
(4) Energy harvesting antenna of IoT antenna types
Energy harvesting antenna can be used as an important type of rectifier antenna, which can
enrich the various radio energy in the free environment, convert it into direct current energy,
replenish the sensor node in the case of energy, to solve the terminal self-powered problem and
extension of the IoT Nodes.
(5) On-chip package antenna of IoT antenna types
Combined with new materials, new physical mechanisms, and new processes, the integrated
design of the entire RF front end and antenna (array) can be achieved on a piece of chip, thereby
generating the conceptual design of the on-chip package antenna, which consists of the Internet
of Things signal interconnection, and problems with external wireless propagation.
IoT devices need to have an antenna. The smaller the space, the more the frequency band, the
more complex the antenna design.
According to the application, the common IoT antenna types are as the following:
Large size IoT device with an external antenna of IoT antenna types
External antennas are generally standard frequency bands, no debugging, plug-in then work.
For example, a courier cabinet, vending machine, generally uses magnetic mount antennas,
absorbing it on the iron shell.
These antennas cannot be placed inside the iron cabinet housing unless the metal will block the
antenna signal.
For the DTU machine or big robot, the through-hole mount antenna, or the fiberglass antenna is
very suitable due to their 360-degree omnidirectional signal transmitting and receiving,
IP67-rated waterproof antenna radome, durable, robust, full-day work features.
The benefits of the external IoT antenna types are convenient to use, cheap, and the
disadvantages cannot be used on small-size products.
Low-frequency communication external antenna of IoT antenna types

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The length of the antenna is about 1/4 of the electromagnetic wave wavelength, so the lower the
signal frequency, the longer the length of the antenna.
Therefore, the FM radio of around 100 MHz requires a long rubber rod antenna, and the
walkie-talkie around 400MHz also needs to use an external long rubber rod antenna. 433MHz
wireless serial ports commonly used in the Internet of Things, usually also used as an external
antenna.
The antenna is shorter, such as 1/8 wavelength or 1/16 wavelength, it can be used, just the
efficiency will fall. Some devices use a short antenna + LNA, and can also reach the reception
effect of the long-day line.
However, the short antenna should reach the emission effect of the long-day line, it is necessary
to increase the transmit power, so the walkie-talkie needs to transmit the signal, which is a long
external antenna, and the FM radio only does not send, there is a built-in receiving antenna.
These IoT antenna types include handheld walkie-talkie antennas, rubber duck antennas, etc.
High-frequency signal embedded antenna of IoT antenna types
For example, 2G (900 MHz), 4G (700-2600 MHz), WiFi and Bluetooth (2.4 GHz), GPS (1.575GHz),
these commonly used Internet communication methods can be embedded antenna.
For small-sized IoT devices wireless products such as handset, wear design, smart home, rarely
use an external antenna, and a built-in antenna is generally employed.
High integration, more beautiful appearance, and performance are slightly weaker than an
external antenna.
The mobile phone antenna is the mainstream embedded antenna, the types and characteristics
of the mobile phone antenna are as follows.
The embedded antennas mainly have ceramic antennas, PCB antennas, flexible PCB antennas.
Ceramic antenna of IoT antenna types
Ceramic antennas are the most used in IoT devices which include the ceramic GPS antenna and
Bluetooth Chip antenna.
The advantage is that the occupied space is small and the performance is better.
The disadvantage is that it is difficult to do multi-band, so it is difficult to apply in a 4G product.
The requirements for board clearance requirements are relatively high, and it is not suitable for
special compact products.
The ceramic antenna includes GPS, Bluetooth, and GSM antenna.
PCB antenna/Flexible PCB antenna of IoT antenna types
The antenna is a wire of a specific length. This line can also draw on the PCB board, which is the
PCB antenna.
The PCB antenna is applied to a module board for a single frequency band such as a Bluetooth
module, WiFi module, ZigBee module, GPS module, Lora module, NB-IoT module, etc.
Advantages: Almost no cost, no need to debug again at a time.
Disadvantages: Only suitable for a single band, such as Bluetooth, WiFi. Different batches of PCB
antenna performance will have a certain deviation.
Spring antenna of IoT antenna types
The spring antenna is a very common low-cost antenna, which is widely used in many electronic

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products. Whether it is 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz, Lora, SUB-1G, NB-IoT, GSM, or LTE etc.
Spring antennas have been widely used.
Advantages: Almost no cost, no need to debug again at a time.
Disadvantages: Only suitable for a single band, such as Bluetooth, WiFi. Spring antenna
performance in different batches will have a certain deviation.
Select the appropriate IoT antenna according to the frequency band requirements, appearance
requirements, cost requirements of the Internet of Things, and intelligent products, to make
product design and usage easier.
C&T RF Antennas Inc is a professional IoT antenna supplier, the IoT antenna frequencies cover 2G
/ GSM / 4G / NB-IoT / 3G / LTE / UMTS / 5GNR Network, through technical accumulation, supply
chain integration, service system construction, is dedicated to pushing the popularization of
networked applications. Contact us for more details on IoT antenna design and production.
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