ANT-2.

4-LCW-ccc

Data Sheet
Product Description
The LCW Dipole Antenna is the most cost-effective
solution for designers searching for superior
performance for 2.4GHz applications including
WiFi, Bluetooth™, ZigBee™, Thread™ and
proprietary 802.15.4 applications.

The LCW delivers high efficiency and better peak

gain than competitive offerings at a fraction of the
leading competitors’ price.

Dipole design means that no additional ground

plane is required.

Features
• Cost effective
• Operates at 2.40-2.50GHz
• Peak Gain at 2.8dBi
• Omni-directional pattern Ordering Information
• Very low VSWR <2:1 ANT-2.4-LCW-RPS (with RP-SMA connector)
• Slim design, less than 6 cm height at ANT-2.4-LCW-SMA (with SMA connector)
90-degree angle
• Adjustable: articulating base lets you reorient
the antenna for performance, storage and
shipment
• Standard SMA or Part 15 compliant reverse
polarity SMA connector (RP-SMA)

Electrical Specifications
Center Frequency: 2.45GHz
Recom. Freq. Range: 2.40–2.50GHz
Bandwidth: 100MHz
Wavelength: ½-wave
VSWR: <2:1
Peak Gain: 2.8dBi
Average gain: -0.6dBi typical
Impedance: 50-ohms
Connection: RP-SMA or SMA
Weight: 7.4g (0.26oz.)
Oper. Temp. Range: –40°C to +80°C
Electrical specifications and plot measurements taken on a 100
x 100mm ground plane, mounted on the edge, bent 90°.

–1– Revised 10/18/2018

Product Dimensions
Ø7.8 mm
(0.31 in)

83.1mm 57.0mm
(3.27 in) (2.24 in)

Ø9.4 mm
(0.37 in)

5.5 mm
(0.22 in) 30.6 mm
(1.20 in)

Ø10.0 mm
(0.39 in)

–2– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Dipole antennas, ground planes and additional orientations
Since it is not always possible to provide an adequate ground plane, dipole antennas like the LCW are
designed with a built-in ground plane, so an external ground plane is not required for the antenna to radiate
properly.

Linx knows how our customers most frequently use our antennas in theirs designs, typically mounted to
enclosures, conductive or non-conductive, so we tested our LCW antenna in 2 different configurations:
straight, without ground (free space), and edge of a ground plane bent at 90°.

Straight, without ground Bent 90°, on edge of ground

Linx tested the LCW dipole antenna to ensure excellent radiation behavior and minimize the risk to the
customer when implementing a new design, regardless of complexity.

Additionally, there are many other configurations with which our LCW antenna will have similar performance
to the Bent 90°, on edge of ground, with minimal difference, as shown below.

–3– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Antenna straight on non-conductive surface/ Free space

VSWR
2.4

2.5

5 44.4

4 36.0

Refelcted Power (%)

VSWR

3 25.0

2 11.1

1 0
2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0

Frequency [GHz]

Return Loss
2.4

2.5

-5

-10
S11/ Return Loss (dB)

-15

-20

-25

-30
2.00 2.50 3.00

Frequency (GHz)

–4– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Peak Gain

2.4

2.5
10

8
Peak Gain (dBi)

0
2.0 2.5 3.0

Frequency (GHz)

Average Gain
2.4

2.5
0

-1
Average Gain (dBi)

-2

-3

-4
2.0 2.5 3.0
Frequency (GHz)

Radiation Efficiency
2.4

2.5

100

90

80
Radiation Efficiency (%)

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
2.0 2.5 3.0

Frequency (GHz)

–5– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Antenna straight on non-conductive surface/ Free space

XZ-Plane Gain YZ-Plane Gain XY-Plane Gain

2400 - 2500MHz
0 0 0
350 10 350 10 350 10
340
10.00 20 340
10.00 20 340
10.00 20

330 5.00 30 330 5.00 30 330 5.00 30

0.00 0.00 0.00

320 40 320 40 320 40
-5.00 -5.00 -5.00
310 -10.00 50 310 -10.00 50 310 -10.00 50

-15.00 -15.00 -15.00

300 60 300 60 300 60
-20.00 -20.00 -20.00
-25.00 -25.00 -25.00
290 70 290 70 290 70
-30.00 -30.00 -30.00
-35.00 -35.00 -35.00
280 80 280 80 280 80
-40.00 -40.00 -40.00
-45.00 -45.00 -45.00
270 -50.00 90 270 -50.00 90 270 -50.00 90

260 100 260 100 260 100

250 110 250 110 250 110

240 120 240 120 240 120

230 130 230 130 230 130

220 140 220 140 220 140

210 150 210 150 210 150

200 160 200 160 200 160 2400MHz

190 170 190 170 190 170
180 180 180
2450MHz

XZ-Plane Gain YZ-Plane Gain XY-Plane Gain 2500MHz

–6– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Edge of the Ground Plane, Bent 90°

VSWR
2.4

5 2.5 44.4

4 36.0

Refelcted Power (%)

VSWR

3 25.0

2 11.1

1 0
2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0
Frequency [GHz]

Return Loss
2.4

2.5

-5

-10
S11/ Return Loss (dB)

-15

-20

-25

-30
2.00 2.50 3.00

Frequency (GHz)

–7– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Peak Gain

2.4

2.5
10

7
Peak Gain (dBi)

0
2.0 2.5 3.0

Frequency (GHz)

Average Gain
2.4

2.5
0

-1
Average Gain (dBi)

-2

-3

-4
2.0 2.5 3.0
Frequency (GHz)

Radiation Efficiency
2.4

2.5

100

90

80
Radiation Efficiency (%)

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
2.0 2.5 3.0

Frequency (GHz)

–8– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Gain Plots - Edge of Plane, Bent 90°

XZ-Plane Gain YZ-Plane Gain XY-Plane Gain

2400 - 2500MHz
0 0 0
350 10 350 10 350 10
340
5.00 20 340
5.00 20 340
5.00 20

330 0.00 30 330 0.00 30 330 0.00 30

320
-5.00 40 320
-5.00 40 320
-5.00 40

-10.00 -10.00 -10.00

310 50 310 50 310 50
-15.00 -15.00 -15.00

300
-20.00 60 300
-20.00 60 300
-20.00 60

-25.00 -25.00 -25.00

290 -30.00 70 290 -30.00 70 290 -30.00 70

-35.00 -35.00 -35.00

280 -40.00 80 280 -40.00 80 280 -40.00 80

-45.00 -45.00 -45.00

270 -50.00 90 270 -50.00 90 270 -50.00 90

260 100 260 100 260 100

250 110 250 110 250 110

240 120 240 120 240 120

230 130 230 130 230 130

220 140 220 140 220 140

210 150 210 150 210 150

200 160 200 160 200 160 2400MHz

190 170 190 170 190 170
180 180 180
2450MHz

XZ-Plane Gain YZ-Plane Gain XY-Plane Gain 2500MHz

–9– ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

Matching Network
Linx tests all our antennas in ideal scenarios where effects from conductive surfaces, non-conductive
surfaces or human proximity issues are eliminated. As a designer, you do not have much control over the
environment your product will be used in.

Linx has always worked closely with our customers, and we know what the primary concerns and pitfalls
are for designers and how to prepare for them. Whether you are designing for a monopole or a dipole
antenna, or an external or even an embedded surface mount antenna, the most common question is, “Why
isn’t my design working?”, and frequently it turns out the design needed a matching network.

As your product design progresses, the chances for proximity effect increases as other components are
added. Some components can act like ground planes, if they have large conductive surface areas, and
can cause interference. This interference is called proximity effect, which can cause a downward shift in
the center frequency of the circuit, depending on how strong the effects are. Proximity effect is commonly
caused by components like pc boards, batteries, motors, sensors, actuators and even non-conductive
enclosures like radomes. Interference can also occur from human proximity, like when using a hand-held
mobile device.

Although our dipole antennas have been designed to minimize these effects, we strongly recommend the
use of a matching network, so you can ensure that you retain optimum signal levels. A matching network is
a circuit that balances the impedance and ensures there is minimum reflected energy coming back from the
antenna. This enables the integrator to optimize the performance in a specific band or to level performance
across all bands. The most common matching network design is called a Pi circuit, placed between the
antenna and the radio; it is a simple circuit of two capacitors to ground on either side of a series inductor.

GND GND

The values can be selected to electrically tune the antenna. It does take test equipment, such as a network
analyzer, to get this right though. Often a design ends up having little or no proximity effect, eliminating the
need to retune the matching section. In these cases, the matching section can have a zero ohm resistor in
place of the Inductor, leaving the other two shunt components un-populated.

The values of the matching components are determined experimentally on the product’s board. Since there
are many variables that play into the antenna’s final performance, it is very difficult to predict what it will
do on any specific design. It is best to design in the matching network, see what the antenna does on the
prototype and then dial the performance in with the network components. Not all of the components may
be needed on a particular design, so they do not need to be populated in production; but it is a good idea
to have the component pads on the board in case they are needed. The components should be placed
close to the antenna connection. The component pads should be placed on the 50-ohm line between the
radio and the antenna.

Linx Technologies offers a service to help customers tune our antennas to their circuit boards. Please contact Linx for more details.

– 10 – ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet

About Gain Plots
The true measure of the effectiveness of an antenna in any given application is determined by the gain
and radiation pattern measurement. For antennas gain is typically measured relative to a perfect (isotropic)
radiator having the same source power as the antenna under test, the units of gain in this case will be
decibels isotropic (dBi). The radiation pattern is a graphical representation of signal strength measured at
fixed distance from the antenna.

Gain when applied to antennas is a measure of how the antenna radiates and focuses energy into free
space. Much like a flashlight focuses light from a bulb in a specific direction, antennas focus RF energy into
specific directions. Gain in this sense refers to an increase in energy in one direction over others.

It should also be understood that gain is not “free”, gain above 0dBi in one
direction means that there must be less gain in another direction. Pictorially
this can be pictured as shown in the figures to the right. The orange pattern
represents the radiation pattern for a perfect dipole antenna, which is shaped
like a donut. The pattern for an omnidirectional antenna with gain is shown in
blue. The gain antenna is able to work with a device located further from the
center along the axis of the pattern, but not with devices closer to the
center when they are off the axis – the donut has been squished.

Gain is also related to the overall physical size of the antenna, as well as
surrounding materials. As the geometry of the antenna is reduced below the effective wavelength (considered
an electrically small antenna) the gain decreases. Also, the relative distance between an electrically small
antenna and its associated ground impacts antenna gain.

What is VSWR?
The Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) is a measurement of how well an antenna is matched to a source
impedance, typically 50-ohms. It is calculated by measuring the voltage wave that is headed toward the load
versus the voltage wave that is reflected back from the load. A perfect match has a VSWR of 1:1. The higher
the first number, the worse the match, and the more inefficient the system. Since a perfect match cannot
ever be obtained, some benchmark for performance needs to be set. In the case of antenna VSWR, this
is usually 2:1. At this point, 88.9% of the energy sent to the antenna by the transmitter is radiated into free
space and 11.1% is either reflected back into the source or lost as heat on the structure of the antenna. In
the other direction, 88.9% of the energy recovered by the antenna is transferred into the receiver. As a side
note, since the “:1” is always implied, many data sheets will remove it and just display the first number.

How to Read a VSWR Graph

VSWR is usually displayed graphically versus frequency. The lowest point on the graph is the antenna’s
operational center frequency. In most cases, this is different than the designed center frequency due to
fabrication tolerances. The VSWR at that point denotes how close to 50-ohms the antenna gets. Linx
specifies the recommended bandwidth as the range where the typical antenna VSWR is less than 2:1.

Copyright © 2018 Linx Technologies

159 Ort Lane, Merlin, OR 97532

Phone: +1 541 471 6256
Fax: +1 541 471 6251
– 11 – ANT-2.4-LCW-ccc Data Sheet
www.linxtechnologies.com