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Antenna Management Functions

Intelligent antenna solutions support three main functions: tuning, swapping, and RF coupling. Tuning includes both aperture and impedance options, which have been shown to improve antenna gain by 1.5 to 4 dB and enhance battery life since less current is required to deliver the same output power. Swapping is utilized to direct RF signals to the antenna that will provide the best performance while RF couplers manage transmit power appropriately. 

 

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  • Enabling system engineers to optimize antenna power and efficiency

Aperture Tuning

Aperture tuning changes the electrical length of an antenna to shift its resonance to the desired frequency band of operation. This is achieved by locating the tuner on the antenna and using it to switch various passive components to attain the desired resonant frequency. Antenna aperture tuners improve the total radiated power (TRP) and total isotropic sensitivity (TiS) by increasing the effective size of an antenna or by altering its radiation pattern.

Impedance Tuning

Impedance tuning aims to match the impedance of the antenna with the impedance of the RF front-end, thus, optimizing the power transfer to the antenna. This is accomplished by locating the tuner along the RF line feeding the antenna and switching various passive components to match the RF feed and antenna impedance. Successful matching improves TRP and TIS.

 

Swapping

Swapping is utilized by system designers to steer the RF signals to the antenna that will provide the best performance. Selecting the antenna that delivers the best transmit power and receive sensitivity will greatly reduce the occurrence of dropped calls.

Couplers

RF Coupling is applied to sense the output power of the front-end and manage transmit power appropriately. RF couplers may also be used to measure reflected power in a closed loop system, thereby facilitating the impedance match between the front-end and the antenna to optimize power delivery to the antenna and improve battery life.

Additional Mobile Solutions

In addition to our antenna portfolio for cellular applications, Skyworks offers a suite of transmit, receive and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity solutions that are addressing the increasing complexity of mobile devices.