What are Wireless Antennas?

Wireless antennas are the part of a radio communications system that radiate and/or collect radio frequency energy.

How are Wireless Antennas used?
Wireless antennas are typically connected via low loss coaxial cable either to an amplifier, splitter, filter or directly to a wireless access point or router. For outdoor applications wireless antennas are often attached via mounting clamps to a mast or to the side of a building via mounting brackets. Wireless Antennas used indoors are typically ceiling mounted or sometimes mounted high up on a wall.

Where are Wireless Antennas used?
Wireless antennas are used in many environments and for many applications. Models for both indoor and outdoor use are available as well as specialty antennas such as Marine antennas used in nautical applications. Wireless antennas are used in both commercial and military/government applications including small office/home office (SOHO) networks, Enterprise (office) networks, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks, homeland security, factory automation, mining, oil processing, wireless cafe "hotspots", energy management and control, police, fire and emergency services networks, radio frequency identification (RFID) applications, and industrial science and medical (ISM) networks. Wireless antennas are used in/on buildings, oil rigs, wind turbines, terrestrial vehicles, boats, aircraft and other mobile and stationary platforms.

There are two main types of WiFi antennas, Omni Directional and Directional
Omni Directional Antennas provide a 360° donut shaped radiation pattern to provide the widest possible signal coverage in indoor and outdoor wireless applications. An analogy for the radiation pattern would be how an un-shaded incandescent light bulb illuminates a room. Types of Omni Directional Antennas include "Rubber Duck" Antennas often found on access points and routers, Omni Antennas found outdoors, and Antenna Arrays used on cellular towers.

Directional antennas, as the name implies, focus the wireless signal in a specifi c direction resulting in a limited coverage area. An analogy for the radiation pattern would be how a vehicle head light illuminates the road. Types of Directional Antennas include Yagi, Parabolic Grid, Patch, and Panel Antennas.

A Critical Component for Every Wireless Application…
The selection of the correct antenna is paramount to achieving overall wireless system performance. Manufacturer's antennas offer a wide range of frequencies, antenna styles, gain specifications, and beamwidth coverage for your wireless system applications and needs. When performance is essential, select the best antenna to fit the application.