SMT antennas are a type of antenna designed to be assembled onto a printed circuit board (PCB) to radiate high-frequency electromagnetic (radio) waves.

How do SMT antennas work?

SMT antennas transmit and receive radio waves in the same way as a regular antenna. The main point of difference is their small size. They often have a limited range, making them ideal for small devices such as wireless routers and cell phones.

SMT antennas can be customised into a broad range of footprints (arrangement of pads used to electrically connect and physically attach a component to a PCB) and have become quite common in mobile electronics. Since they're mostly incorporated into handheld devices they often have rubberised enclosures to protect them from vibration, chemicals, moisture and dust.

What are SMT Antennas used for?

SMT antennas offer ease of integration and high performance in a range of applications of wireless technologies, spanning the medical, industrial and automotive markets. Some of these applications include:

Satellite Radio
Headsets
Navigation devices
GPS devices
Alarm and Monitoring Equipment
Wi-Fi and WLAN routers
Mobile Phones and Tablets
Asset tracking devices
Mobile gaming devices