Airgain Launches Embedded Antenna Solutions for the New 6 GHz ISM Band
Airgain has introduced a new series of embedded antennas for the 6 GHz ISM band that is yet to be announced. In October 2018, the FCC had voted to allocate up to 1.2 GHz of mid-band 6 GHz spectrum for next-generation Wi-Fi systems. Following the Notice of Proposed Rule Making released in late 2018 by the FCC, the spectrum may be made available towards the end of 2019. The 6 GHz spectrum will be used by the latest Wi-Fi technology, namely Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).
The Profile X6 Series antennas operate from 5.9 – 7.125 GHz and will help Wi-Fi system designers adapt to future technological changes, enabling a more seamless transition to 6 GHz support once the new spectrum becomes available for Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi system designers including carriers and OEMs are deep into device design refresh cycles based on Wi-Fi 6; however, since the 6 GHz spectrum is not officially allocated yet, they can wait and risk being late to the market, or proceed without developing for the 6 GHz spectrum.
According to Callum Noon, Senior Director, Product Management and Marketing at Airgain, Airgain’s Wi-Fi 6 ready, 6 GHz embedded antenna solutions enable Wi-Fi system designers to build their Wi-Fi 6 systems with antenna support for both 5 GHz and 6 GHz from day one. This creates potential for a future upgrade to 6 GHz, when utilizing radio hardware that is upgradeable to support 6 GHz, avoiding a new ground-up 6 GHz design once the 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum becomes available. The Profile X6 series antenna also includes patent-pending technology that increases the isolation between existing 5 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum and the new 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum, enabling the two bands to co-exist in the same device with maximum throughput performance.
Airgain’s embedded antenna family now features two designs that support 6 GHz Wi-Fi system design, including the new X6 series and the existing Q6 series antennas:
Profile Embedded X6 Series Antenna (New)
- Immediate availability of 6 GHz Wi-Fi antennas, providing reference design support and support for the development of future proof Wi-Fi 6 devices.
- Improves inter-antenna isolation between existing 5 GHz and new 6 GHz Wi-Fi for higher modulation and MIMO operation.
- Allows smaller device size.
- Provides increased flexibility in choosing antenna locations.
Profile Embedded Q6 Series Antenna
- Immediate availability of embedded antennas for new 6 GHz (5.9 – 7.125 GHz) Wi-Fi spectrum in various configurations including dual-band and support for existing 5 GHz unlicensed band.
- Features Airgain’s ‘Double Infinite Balun’ technology included in the Q Series antenna range.
- Antennas are available in different combinations of bands based on the selected radio architecture, such as single 6 GHz band, dual-band, and tri-band options.
Airgain’s latest innovations, including the new Profile family of antennas for 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, will be on display during Computex 2019 being held May 28 – June 1, in Taipei, Taiwan. Click here to know more about Airgain’s Wi-Fi 6 antenna solutions.
