Antenova releases dual-mode receive/transmit internal SMD FM antenna module for embedded FM radio apps

CAMBRIDGE, UK: Antenova Ltd, the integrated antenna and RF solutions company, has announced the addition of the M10385 dual-mode receive/transmit internal surface mount FM Antenna Module for a broad range of mobile and digital media device applications.

Antenova’s innovative printed circuit board (PCB) antenna module design provides a simple drop-in solution to address the growing market for FM radio functionality in mobile and media devices such as mobile phones, personal navigation devices (PNDs), personal media players (PMPs), media tables and digital photo frames (DPFs), without the need for external headphone or retractable antennas.

“Antenova’s M10385 internal surface mount FM Antenna Module is an ideal solution for device manufactures wanting to add FM radio receive and transmit functionality to the new generation of slim and sleek mobile devices,” stated Greg McCray, CEO of Antenova.

“In mobile phone applications, M10385 eliminates the need for traditional headphone cable antennas and is suitable for use with Bluetooth headsets. In addition, M10385 has the transmit capability which enables any device fitted with the FM antenna module to become a personal FM transmitter.

“So, for example, a user could transmit the music from their mobile phone, PMP or MP3 player to their car radio, thereby providing a no cost in-car audio integration option for listening to their music on the car’s stereo sound system. The same can be applied to the home stereo system with FM radio as well.”

The M10385 is an active FM antenna module consisting of Antenova’s patent pending FM antenna with a matching circuit and low noise amplifier (LNA) in a small 30 x 5 x 1.5 mm3 package, with the convenience of a standard surface mount device (SMD). M10385 is capable of receiving/transmitting FM frequencies from 87.5 - 108 MHz and is intended to be planar mounted at the edge of the host PCB for minimum space requirement.

A minimum clearance of 2mm between the antenna and the host PCB ground plane is recommended for the best FM signal reception. The module can be easily interfaced to any FM receiver as the LNA output is matched to 50 ohms, but custom impedance can also be provided.