On which layers of four should the trace antenna be (433mhz)

Our team plan to launch a GPS device for food safety tracking, with a four layers PCB inside. Where should we locate the antenna?

November 14, 2023

Antennas deal with the world outside the device. This would tend to indicate that they should be located on an outside layer.

While it’s easy to say that circuit board substrate material (woven Fiberglas with epoxy binder) is “transparent” to radio signals, a closer look reveals a dielectric constant of 4 as versus a dielectric constant of 1 for free space. This difference will have an effect on the behavior of the antenna (probably not much at 433 MHz), but it’s still not a good idea to bury the antenna under a layer of laminate.

Don’t locate any other conductors on layers below the antenna – just keep them clear.

Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

Oliver Smith

What Others Are Asking

How do you usually organize SMT parts during PCB assembly?

Suppose one is hand-assembling a board with many SMT components. Unlike THT, SMT components are often not labeled. How might one keep small (<100) quantities of such parts properly organized during assembly? Are there particular tools? Storage devices? Methods?

Oliver Smith November 22, 2023

Do the scratches on the PCB have any bad effect to products?

We receive a batch of PCB with scratches from my supplier, but they think it is acceptable. I have never seen such error on even an B stock boards parts. Very confused. How do scratches affect PCB working?

Oliver Smith October 13, 2023

How can I mount a pulse oximeter on the surface of PCB without putting too much stress?

The PCB has a pulse oximeter mounted on the surface, and it’s tolerance is 0.6mm. The problem is the pulse oximeter needs to touch the bottom case at all times. How to best mount the PCB in the case without putting too much stress on the pulse oximeter? Will screws with flexible washers be all right? Sadly separating pulse oximeter from main PCB is not an option.

Oliver Smith December 5, 2023

On which layers of four should the trace antenna be (433mhz)

Oliver Smith

Oliver Smith

What Others Are Asking

How do you usually organize SMT parts during PCB assembly?

Do the scratches on the PCB have any bad effect to products?

How can I mount a pulse oximeter on the surface of PCB without putting too much stress?

Read Detailed Advice From Blog Articles