Antennaware Ltd has announced an addition to its Bodywave antenna range, specifically targetting the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) radio market.
Specialising in solving body blocking problems associated with close-range RF designs, Antennaware’s new UWB Bodywave targets the IOT, wearable, sports, professional and consumer electronics markets, bringing extended range and reduced drop-out. These performance improvements result in more coverage, wireless reliability, and high signal performance for data capture even in demanding outdoor environments.
‘A major problem with wireless wearables is the issue of body shadowing,’ says Antennaware CEO, Dr Gareth Conway. ‘This is when the human body blocks the wireless transmission path, meaning the signal can drop out because the radio waves created by existing antennas are reflected or absorbed by the human body. BodyWave solves this by generating waves that flow efficiently around the body, supporting a communication link even when the body is blocking the signal.’
Antennaware’s expertise has already been deployed in the 2.4GHz for Bluetooth arena where its Bodywave antenna resulted in improvements of 10-20dB. This new UWB version is recording over 25dB improvement in link budget when compared to printed or ceramic chip antennas – an improvement the company describes as so dramatic it is allowing UWB radios to successfully address market sectors where Body Blocking was previously very difficult to overcome.
The new version of Bodyware, supports both 6.5GHz (Ch 5) and 8GHz (Ch 9), and deals with the issues surrounding UWB that have historically caused data drop outs, especially when devices were used ‘cross body’ (back pocket to headset) or in Auto and Asset Tracking applications.
‘Our novel and patented approach addresses the debilitating effects of body blocking in general, and UWB in particular,’ adds Antennaware CTO, Dr Matt Magill. ‘This makes our Bodyware UWB antenna a fundamental enabler for the IOT, Wearable and Audio wireless markets.’
More: www.antennaware.co.uk
