ASHTransceiverAntennaImpedanceMatching-Wireless.pdfVIP

ASH Transceiver Antenna Impedance Matching In many low power radio applications, a small physical form factor is required (i.e., a RKE transmitter). In such applications a full sized quarter wavelength antenna becomes impractical; the antenna must be shorter. Short antennas usually present a capacitive load, with the real part of the antenna impedance less than 50 ohms. If such an antenna is connected to the ASH transceiver using the tuning inductor values for a 50 ohm load (given in the data sheet), the antenna will be miss-matched to the ASH transceiver. The result will be reduced transmission range. In order to get the best range with a short antenna, the antenna must be tuned to provide the correct impedance match. This application note discusses the methods to tune a short antenna and sites several examples. 1. Check the antenna impedance Before starting to tune the antenna, it is necessary to check the antenna impedance. A network analyzer is usually used for antenna impedance measurements and matching. a. Preparation for calibration: Solder a “pigtail” (a SMA connector with a piece of coaxial cable) to the test PCB. Keep the coaxial cable very short. If a long cable is necessary, you can add ferrite beads to the cable to prevent it from radiating. Keep the test antenna away from the cable and the network analyzer to reduce field reflections. At this point the antenna should be disconnected from the transceiver, and the center conductor of the cable should not be connected to the antenna or the transceiver. See Fig. 2(b). The other simple way is to first calibrate just the pigtail without the PCB. b. Calibration: Set the network analyzer to the Smith Chart display (of S11) and set the sweep center frequency to t