In 5G, LTE and mobile networks, the quality of connectivity does not depend only on the available coverage or on the characteristics of the radio equipment. It also depends on how the antenna operates inside the real device, in the intended installation position and in the operating environment in which the system will have to work.
Routers, gateways, FWA terminals installed at the end user’s premises, small cells, repeaters, cellular equipment and MIMO devices must ensure stable communications in very different scenarios: buildings, industrial plants, critical infrastructures, remote areas, indoor or outdoor installations, or mobile platforms.
In these contexts, the antenna should not be considered a generic component to be selected at the end of the project. It is part of the RF architecture and can contribute to link stability, real coverage and consistency between equipment, installation and operating conditions.
ElettroMagnetic Services Srl designs and manufactures custom antennas and tailor-made antenna systems for 5G, LTE, 4G and mobile network services, developed starting from the Customer’s technical requirements and the real configuration of the equipment.
Custom 5G antennas and custom antennas for 5G networks make it possible to develop an RF solution that is consistent with the real equipment, operating bands, MIMO or multi-antenna architecture, enclosure, installation position and actual conditions of use.
We do not supply complete mobile networks, nor do we develop active electronics, radio modules, routers, gateways, small cells, repeaters or complete cellular equipment. Our contribution concerns the antenna part: design, optimisation, manufacturing and characterisation of custom antennas and antenna systems intended to be integrated into the Customer’s RF devices.
The objective is to help the Customer develop an antenna solution that is consistent with the RF architecture, the final device and the expected conditions of use.
Custom antennas for 5G, LTE and mobile equipment
Mobile network equipment may be correctly designed from an electronic point of view, but still fail to achieve the expected performance if the antenna is not suitable for the device into which it is integrated.
Antennas for cellular networks and mobile antennas must be evaluated according to the final equipment, because enclosure, ground plane, cabling, available position and coexistence with other RF systems can modify actual behaviour compared to nominal performance.
The real behaviour of the antenna depends on the available position, the enclosure, the presence of other RF elements and the way the equipment will be installed. A solution that works under ideal conditions may therefore behave differently once integrated into the final product.
For this reason, in 5G, LTE and mobile network projects, it is not enough to choose an antenna based only on the technical specifications shown in the datasheet. It is necessary to evaluate how the antenna will work inside the real equipment and under the expected operating conditions.
A custom design makes it possible to address these aspects from the earliest stages of the project, transforming the technical requirements of the application into concrete design criteria.
Why a standard antenna may not be enough
Standard antennas are often designed for generic applications and controlled test conditions. This does not mean that they cannot work, but that their real behaviour can change when they are integrated into a specific device.
A 5G router, an industrial gateway, an FWA terminal, a small cell or a multi-band device may have constraints related to space, position, enclosure and RF coexistence that are very different from those expected by a catalogue solution.
The risk is that the antenna may be suitable as a single component, but not truly consistent with the final equipment. This can result in lower link stability, non-optimal coverage or performance below expectations.
Developing a custom antenna reduces this distance between nominal performance and real behaviour, working directly on the device, its RF architecture and its context of use.
MIMO antennas for 5G, LTE and multi-antenna devices
Many 5G and LTE devices use MIMO architectures to improve communication quality, capacity and stability.
5G MIMO antennas must be designed by considering the behaviour of the multi-antenna system as a whole, because isolation, correlation, orientation of the radiating elements, enclosure and mechanical integration can affect the benefits actually obtainable from the MIMO architecture.
In these systems, however, it is not enough to insert several antennas into the same device. The antennas must work together coherently, maintaining adequate separation between channels and limiting unwanted interactions.
When the available space is limited, design becomes more delicate. The position of the antennas, the enclosure and the presence of other RF elements can influence the behaviour of the MIMO system and reduce the expected benefits.
ElettroMagnetic Services Srl designs antennas and multi-antenna systems by considering the equipment as a whole, with the objective of developing a solution that is consistent with the RF architecture and the real constraints of the device.
Multi-band antennas for cellular and mobile devices
Mobile devices often have to support several technologies and multiple operating bands within the same equipment.
4G 5G multi-band antennas must therefore be developed by taking into account the trade-off between coverage of the operating bands, efficiency, available dimensions, isolation between radiating elements and antenna behaviour inside the real device.
This requirement is particularly critical when the device is compact, when several antennas are present in the same enclosure or when the product has to operate in non-ideal installation environments.
In these cases, the objective is not simply to cover many frequencies, but to develop an antenna solution capable of maintaining consistent behaviour inside the final equipment.
A custom design makes it possible to balance RF performance, dimensions and mechanical integration, avoiding the forced adaptation of a standard solution to a product that requires a specific evaluation.
5G routers, gateways, FWA, small cells and repeaters
5G routers, industrial gateways, FWA terminals, small cells and repeaters are devices in which the antenna solution can significantly affect the quality of connectivity.
Antennas for 5G routers, antennas for LTE 5G gateways, FWA antennas and antennas for small cells must be designed by considering the installation context, the type of coverage required, the available position on the equipment, the presence of other antennas and the indoor, outdoor or industrial conditions in which the device will have to operate.
A router or gateway may be installed in a technical cabinet, in an industrial plant, in a building or near metal structures. An FWA terminal may have to ensure a stable link in indoor or outdoor scenarios. A small cell or repeater may require coverage that is consistent with the environment in which it is installed.
In all these cases, the antenna does not work under abstract conditions. It works inside real equipment and in a real environment, with constraints that can modify RF behaviour compared to what is expected under ideal conditions.
Designing the antenna while taking these aspects into account makes it possible to develop a solution that is more consistent with the final product and with the connectivity experience that the device must ensure.
Indoor, outdoor and industrial connectivity
The same antenna can behave differently depending on the environment in which it is installed.
Inside a building, the signal can be influenced by walls, floors, reflective surfaces and the position of the equipment. In an industrial environment, metal structures, machinery, technical cabinets and other devices can make mobile communication behaviour more complex. In outdoor installations, environmental conditions, mounting constraints and long-term stability come into play.
Antennas for industrial cellular devices must therefore be evaluated in relation to the real environment, because the presence of metal structures, electrical cabinets, machinery, technical walls or shielding installations can influence the continuity and stability of the mobile connection.
For this reason, an antenna intended for 5G, LTE or mobile networks must be evaluated in relation to the real environment and not only according to the datasheet of the individual component.
A tailor-made design makes it possible to develop a solution that is more consistent with the type of equipment, the installation position and the expected operating conditions.
RF coexistence inside the final equipment
In modern mobile equipment, the antenna often has to coexist with other antennas and other RF systems.
A device may integrate cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M or additional radio modules. This coexistence can influence the behaviour of the antenna and must be considered from the initial stages of the project.
When several RF functions are integrated into the same device, the issue is not only designing a good antenna, but developing an antenna system that is consistent with the overall architecture of the equipment.
ElettroMagnetic Services Srl addresses these aspects by working on the real equipment, with the objective of helping the Customer reduce RF criticalities related to antenna position, coexistence between different functions and integration into the final device.
Rugged antennas for industrial, outdoor and infrastructure installations
Many mobile network applications require antennas designed not only to ensure RF performance, but also to withstand the physical conditions of the installation.
Industrial equipment, infrastructures, outdoor installations, mobile vehicles, technical cabinets or remote areas may require robust, protected and long-term stable solutions.
In these cases, RF performance, mechanical robustness and environmental protection must be considered together. A custom antenna makes it possible to develop a solution suited to real use, not only to laboratory verification.
From the mobile network requirement to the antenna solution
Every antenna project for 5G, LTE and mobile networks starts from the analysis of the real requirements of the application.
The radio technology used, the operating bands, the MIMO or multi-antenna architecture, the type of equipment, the enclosure, the available position for the antenna and the installation conditions are evaluated together in order to transform the Customer’s need into a concrete and verifiable antenna solution.
This analysis may lead to a multi-element antenna system, a MIMO solution, a multi-band antenna, a rugged antenna or a solution integrated directly into the Customer’s device.
The design is supported by electromagnetic simulations, prototyping, optimisation on the real equipment, measurements and characterisation in an anechoic chamber, in order to verify the behaviour of the antenna or antenna system before delivery.
This process makes it possible to transform the constraints of the application into design criteria, reducing the uncertainty between expected performance and real behaviour.
The advantage for the Customer
Involving ElettroMagnetic Services Srl in the design of custom antennas for 5G, LTE and mobile networks means addressing the RF part related to the antenna while design choices are still open.
This makes it possible to avoid standard antennas that are not optimised for the real equipment, reduce the risk of RF criticalities in the advanced stages of integration and develop an antenna solution that is consistent with the device, the RF architecture and the expected operating conditions.
It also means being able to verify the behaviour of the antenna or antenna system through measurements and characterisation in an anechoic chamber before delivery.
In 5G, LTE and mobile network projects, the antenna is not a secondary component. It should be evaluated from the earliest stages of definition of the RF architecture and the final device, when position, dimensions, enclosure and coexistence with other RF systems can still be optimised.
Custom antennas for your 5G or mobile device
If you are developing a 5G router, a mobile gateway, an FWA terminal, a small cell, a repeater, an LTE device, a MIMO system, a multi-band device or a cellular connectivity solution for industrial, infrastructure, indoor or outdoor applications, ElettroMagnetic Services Srl can support you in designing the custom antenna best suited to your operational scenario.
Tell us about your project: mobile technology, operating bands, equipment, installation constraints, RF architecture and expected performance are the starting point for designing an antenna solution that is truly consistent with your device.
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