Cellular Antennas

Wireless technology in industrial environments is becoming more and more common, whether it is utilizing Wi-Fi or proprietary systems for long-distance communication. In order for wireless technology to be successful, the signal must be transferred between a transmitter and receiver, converting the RF electrical signal from the transmitter into an electromagnetic wave in free space, and then converting that wave back again at the receiver. The device that makes this possible is the antenna. 

In industrial environments, there may be elements that interfere with the reception of a signal at the receiver and the right type of antenna can provide the transmission path to suit the application’s needs. Antennas come in many shapes and sizes and each has its own specific design characteristics that determine the range and radiation pattern of the radio signal. The radiation pattern or shape of the radio signal is what is referred to as antenna gain. Antenna gain is measured in decibels. The higher the gain of the antenna, the more focused the signal. The transmitting radiation pattern is the same as the sensitivity pattern for receiving. Which means that the direction in which the antenna transmits the strongest signal is also the direction in which it is most sensitive for receiving signals. 

Cellular antennas are a type of omnidirectional antenna that covers the entire spectrum of cellular standards including GSM, UMTS and LTE with speeds from 2G to 5G. Cellular is the most common service used for the internet of things (IoT). IoT and cellular service enables devices to connect and exchange data. Many industrial applications need cellular antennas to be externally mounted onto a transmitter/receiver device for machine to machine communication. For example, a sensor or meter will need to communicate the data it records to application software that can use it.