Guidelines for external antenna layout

captain_morgan
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Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby captain_morgan » Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:43 am

I'm designing a board with an edge mounted SMA connector for the antenna and am looking for design guidelines. The hardware design guidelines briefly outlines using a PCB antenna but not much more.

Is there a reference design available for an external antenna? I see mention the ESP-WROVER has an external antenna but cannot find any additional info on that.

Any info appreciated.

Thanks, Morgan

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iot-bits.com
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Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby iot-bits.com » Mon Apr 24, 2017 1:44 pm

The ESP-WROVER does have a connector for attaching an external antenna.
As for the design guidelines, you can follow pretty much any app note out there for antenna design and RF layout, just that it should be for a single ended RF output. Unlike ESP8266, ESP32 DOES require matching if antenna is 50 ohms. This is because ESP32 output impedance is not 50 ohms.
Last edited by iot-bits.com on Fri Oct 13, 2017 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Pratik
:geek: Just another hobbyist and consultant

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rudi ;-)
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Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby rudi ;-) » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:16 am

iot-bits.com wrote:The ESP-WROVER does have a connector for attaching an external antenna.
hi pratik, i wounder you know when ESP-WROVER is comming out officially and
which connection is standard active?

internally pcb antenna or external ipx / u-fl ?

thanks

best wishes
rudi ;-)

antenna_intern_extern_wrover.jpg
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mehul_dudeja
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Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby mehul_dudeja » Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:41 am

Hi

I want to know how to connect an external antenna with an ESP32-wroom-32 as we have an application of light bulb in which the ESP32 module will go inside the aluminium body of the bulb. This will decrease the range/signal strength of the WiFi and BLE.

So is it possible to solder an external on to ESP32 which can increase its range of WiFi as currently the signals are decreasing.

ESP_Lvxinyue
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2015 6:13 am

Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby ESP_Lvxinyue » Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:46 am

mehul_dudeja wrote:Hi

I want to know how to connect an external antenna with an ESP32-wroom-32 as we have an application of light bulb in which the ESP32 module will go inside the aluminium body of the bulb. This will decrease the range/signal strength of the WiFi and BLE.

So is it possible to solder an external on to ESP32 which can increase its range of WiFi as currently the signals are decreasing.
Hi,

ESP32-WROOM-32U has a U.FL connector to support external antenna. Other new modules: ESP32-WROVER (IPEX), ESP32-WROVER-IB, also support external IPEX antenna, but more than that, they also have 8 MB PSRAM. More information can be found on Espressif website: https://www.espressif.com/en/products/hardware/modules.

Let us know if you have further questions. Thanks.

mehul_dudeja
Posts: 4
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Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby mehul_dudeja » Fri Sep 14, 2018 7:49 am

ESP_Lvxinyue wrote:
mehul_dudeja wrote:Hi

I want to know how to connect an external antenna with an ESP32-wroom-32 as we have an application of light bulb in which the ESP32 module will go inside the aluminium body of the bulb. This will decrease the range/signal strength of the WiFi and BLE.

So is it possible to solder an external on to ESP32 which can increase its range of WiFi as currently the signals are decreasing.
Hi,

ESP32-WROOM-32U has a U.FL connector to support external antenna. Other new modules: ESP32-WROVER (IPEX), ESP32-WROVER-IB, also support external IPEX antenna, but more than that, they also have 8 MB PSRAM. More information can be found on Espressif website: https://www.espressif.com/en/products/hardware/modules.

Let us know if you have further questions. Thanks.

Thanks for replying

If I need to solder an antenna having a braided wire part and a solid core part on ESP32-wroom-32 then where I have to solder it to enhance the range of WiFi?
As we have lock down this particular module for our application and we are into the production.

So could you provide me a solution for this particular module which is ESP32-wroom-32 in some kind of document so that we will get surety that this will never fail?

Please provide the details at the earliest.

ESP_Alvin
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 2:26 am

Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby ESP_Alvin » Fri Sep 14, 2018 10:56 am

Hi, mehul_dudeja

Please cut off the RF trace after feed point of antenna and weld the external antenna on the feed point of antenna, as is shown in the picture.

Thanks.
Attachments
817AFFF7-EB90-4504-A50B-B4EC82D3084D.jpg
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mehul_dudeja
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Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby mehul_dudeja » Sat Sep 15, 2018 6:30 am

ESP_Alvin wrote:Hi, mehul_dudeja

Please cut off the RF trace after feed point of antenna and weld the external antenna on the feed point of antenna, as is shown in the picture.

Thanks.
Hi,

I have seen the photo but could you please send some clear photos or some kind of document by Espressif(official) if possible, in which I can see clearly which point needs to be solder to the feed point and which point needs to be solder to the braided wire.

Thanks
Mehul

ESP_Alvin
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 2:26 am

Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby ESP_Alvin » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:51 am

Hi, Mehul

Sorry for the inconvenience caused by the not-clear photo, we have drafted a clearer photo and hope this one helps.

Thanks.
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mehul_dudeja
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:07 pm

Re: Guidelines for external antenna layout

Postby mehul_dudeja » Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:39 am

ESP_Alvin wrote:Hi, Mehul

Sorry for the inconvenience caused by the not-clear photo, we have drafted a clearer photo and hope this one helps.

Thanks.

Hi, Alvin

Thanks for sending the photo.

I need to know is it necessary to cutoff the trace/PCB antenna when connecting the external antenna?
Can we keep both the external antenna as well as the trace/PCB antenna?
Do they create some kind of problem when both of them will be working?

Thanks

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