For any Wi-Fi product, the antenna placement affects the performance of the whole system. The antenna requires free space to radiate RF signals, and it must not be surrounded by the ground plane. Thus, for the best PCB antenna performance, it is recommended that the RNWF02PC/E module is placed at the edge of the host board.
The RNWF02PC/RNWF02PE module ground outline edge must be aligned with the edge of the host board ground plane as shown in the following figure.
A low-impedance ground plane for the RNWF02 module ensures the best radio performance (best range and lowest noise). The ground plane can be extended beyond the minimum recommendation as required for the host board EMC and noise reduction.
For the best performance, keep metal structures and components (such as mechanical spacers, bump-on and so on) at least 31.75 mm away from the PCB trace antenna as illustrated in the following figure.
The antenna on the RNWF02 module must not be placed in direct contact with or in close proximity to plastic casing or objects. Keep a minimum clearance of 10 mm in all directions around the PCB antenna as shown in the following figure. Keeping metallic and plastic objects close to the antenna can detune the antenna and reduce the performance of the device.
Exposed GND pads on the bottom of the RNWF02 module must be soldered to the host board (see the Example of Host Board on Top Layer figure in the RNWF02 Module Routing Guidelines from Related Links).
A PCB cutout or a copper keepout is required under the RF test point (see RNWF02 Module Packaging Information from Related Links).
Copper keepout areas are required on the top layer under voltage test points (see RNWF02 Module Packaging Information from Related Links).
Alternatively, the entire region, except the exposed ground paddle, can be solder-masked.
The following figure illustrates the examples of RNWF02 Module placement on a host board with a ground plane. Refer to the following figure for placement-specific guidance. Figure 2-8. Module Placement Guidelines
The following figure illustrates the examples of the RNWF02 module placement on a host board with a ground plane. Refer to Figure 2-8 for placement-specific guidance. Figure 2-9. RNWF02 Module Placement
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