Taoglas addresses antenna design in miniature, multi-radio environments
Antennas are a key enabling technology in realising advances in IoT, MIMO, and 5G. Miniaturisation in electronics and the use of multiple antennas in devices and systems require smaller sizes and combinations of antennas, preferably in a single form factor. Multiple radios in a small device add to complexity as data rates keep increasing and bandwidths widen. Reliability and robust wireless connectivity are also important design considerations for many applications spanning IoT, medical, agriculture, automotive and 5G, amongst others. Olivier Robin, COO of Taoglas talks to eeNews about the challenges facing antenna design in an evolving wireless world.
eeNews: Taoglas has grown well beyond its origins in antenna design. How has your technology roadmap expanded to include RF systems, advanced materials, and integrated IoT solutions?
Over time, we’ve expanded our antenna design capabilities to keep pace with the growing complexity of our customers’ needs. As the available spectrum broadens, devices are expected to perform more functions in less space, supporting multiple antennas, multiple bands, and tighter mechanical constraints, whether they’re custom or off-the-shelf.
On the one hand, we’re seeing more demand for compact designs that combine multiple antennas in a single form factor. For instance, our recent Patriot™ design can integrate up to 18 antennas in a single unit, all carefully tuned to work together. On the other hand, every external antenna still needs to meet IP67 standards on its own, not just once it’s installed, and it has to fit seamlessly into the customer’s system, whether embedded or external. Those are key priorities for our R&D team, which is always focused on making integration as easy and plug-and-play as possible.
To help speed things up, we created a series of TFM front-end modules to simplify GNSS antenna tuning. Antenna theory, especially when Maxwell’s equations come into play, can seem complex, some say like “black magic.” But in reality, good antenna design is about finding the right balance between electrical and mechanical engineering. Material selection is a key part of that. For instance, using lightweight, manufacturable alternatives to traditional ceramics, like those found in our Terrablast™ series, can help reduce weight while maintaining performance. Likewise, techniques used in the Inception™ range demonstrate how ultra-low-profile multiband patches can be achieved through thoughtful engineering.
eeNews: What are some of the most demanding technical challenges engineers face today when designing antennas and RF components for complex, multi-radio environments, especially in sectors like automotive and industrial IoT?
Things are moving faster than ever, and we’re surrounded by smart, connected IoT devices, especially in cars and industrial systems. The problem is that antenna design is often an afterthought from the customer’s perspective, and the last component to be evaluated and certified. By the time a product is close to launch, most of the key decisions, such as mechanical layout, bill of materials, and cost targets, are already locked in.
Successful antenna integration depends on more than just having a wide range of plug-and-play products. It also requires strong engineering support that can adapt to different customer needs, wherever their design teams are based. A clear understanding of technical requirements is critical, especially when it comes to integrating antennas into space-constrained systems.
Antenna performance is often shaped by 3D dimensions, and the lowest frequency in the required spectrum usually dictates the antenna size: lower frequencies need physically larger antennas. Take multiband 5G as an example: in 2025, this spans from 600 MHz to 6 GHz and needs MIMO configurations. That means integrating multiple antennas, often 2 or 4, operating across the same frequency bands, which adds to the design complexity. Twenty years ago, a single narrowband antenna was enough for most applications. Today, devices often need to support multiple radios (e.g. 5G, GNSS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ISM) and still meet modern expectations around size and appearance. No one wants visible antennas sticking out if they can be avoided.
These are the kinds of challenges engineers are solving every day. Research into new materials and more compact antenna systems, like those in the TFM series, is helping to reduce size and improve efficiency. There’s also growing focus on integrated and combination antennas to make it easier to connect with devices across applications, whether in vehicles, medical equipment, or smart home systems.
eeNews: RF-optimised enclosures are becoming critical for ensuring reliable connectivity in outdoor and industrial settings. With the recent launch of your Thunder platform, what were the key design considerations, particularly in balancing antenna integration, RF performance, and environmental durability?
The Thunder series came out of a clear gap we saw in the market. Over the years, we’ve worked across a wide range of radio platforms, whether at the system level with base stations, femtocells, and nanocells; at the board level with embedded antennas and radio modules; or at the IoT level for gateways and routers for mobile and infrastructure use. What we noticed was that most companies were focused on their product, without considering the broader system or the end customer’s needs.
We have a strong background in IP-rated outdoor products and combination antennas, so developing the Thunder platform felt like a natural step. It brings together high RF performance with mechanical integration, offering a complete, IP67-rated enclosure that supports multiple gateways, with flexible mounting options for both omnidirectional and directional setups.
eeNews: How do in-house tools like AntennaXpert help accelerate RF design cycles and improve first-pass success, especially for customers without deep RF expertise?
Over the past decade, there’s been a sharp rise in IoT product development, and the electronics industry has shifted heavily toward using off-the-shelf components from major distributors.
Many companies now take a “Lego block” approach, assembling systems from standard parts, but often don’t have the internal resources or budget for a full engineering team to handle every aspect of product design, especially around RF.
That’s where tools like the AntennaXpert suite come in. It was designed to support this kind of modular design approach, making it straightforward to select, customise, and configure antennas, as well as build coaxial cable assemblies in just a few clicks. Orders are turned around within 48 hours, and real-time stock visibility and clear product images help make sure customers know exactly what they’re getting.
We’ve also developed the Antenna Integrator tool specifically to support embedded antenna design. It uses AI to help position antennas on the PCB, taking into account the board’s shape, size, and surrounding components. Then it generates a detailed performance report based on how the system will be used. It’s been well-received by customers, and we’re actively working on new features to make it even more capable.
eeNews: As edge connectivity scales, what strategies are proving most effective for improving signal reliability, managing interference, and optimising power efficiency in low-power IoT deployments? Are there any wireless standards or form factor innovations that stand out?
Staying reliable at the edge starts with best practice antenna integration, especially antenna placement and layout. It’s important to consider how antennas are positioned, how much clearance they have on the PCB, and how close they are to metal components or other antennas. From an electrical perspective, many newer modules support MIMO (2×2 or 4×4), which can significantly boost link performance, but only if they’re integrated properly in tight spaces. In cases where MIMO isn’t supported, spatial diversity remains a viable option when working with legacy or lower-cost radio modules.
One of the most effective ways to improve the signal-to-noise ratio is by keeping antennas and sensitive components away from potential noise sources. In cellular applications, TRP (Total Radiated Power) and TIS (Total Isotropic Sensitivity) testing on active devices can help show where noise is starting to impact performance. Noise mitigation is still one of the toughest challenges in RF design and often means working through trial and error to find the root cause. There are techniques to probe and trace interference, and in many cases, issues can be resolved with proper filtering, grounding, shielding, and thorough testing.
At the system level, there are also ways to improve reliability. These include using fallback options like Wi-Fi or other cellular protocols, or features like Listen Before Talk (LBT), which help avoid channel collisions in busy environments. Technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Thread can help reduce persistent interference, depending on the use case. Some devices adjust their data rates in real time, based on current signal conditions. And if the application doesn’t need full 4G or 5G bandwidth, NB-IoT or LTE-M can be more efficient alternatives.
eeNews: From your experience with OEMs across industries, what are the most common RF design pitfalls you see? And how do you help engineering teams address those issues earlier in the product development cycle?
Things go a lot smoother when everyone’s aligned on cost, timelines, and technical specs from the beginning, but that’s rarely the case. A well-structured design process makes a big difference. Initial testing and RF simulations can help identify potential issues early and point towards suitable standard or custom solutions. This often leads to prototyping and performance validation, where key parameters and antenna placement are checked against expectations.
As the project progresses, the complexity grows. The antenna system typically converges toward a final implementation through successive rounds of passive and active testing, using tools like Vector Network Analysers (VNAs) and anechoic chambers. Additional testing may focus on specific communication protocols, such as GNSS, cellular, Wi-Fi, or NFC, and their interactions.
Along the way, it’s common to encounter classic RF design pitfalls: missing surge protection, incorrect impedance lines, ESD diode placement, poor grounding, or vias in the wrong location. Others are harder to spot, like antenna coupling, interference from high-speed digital circuits or nearby radios, mismatched microstrip lines, or signal attenuation from nearby components, such as shielding, heat sinks, displays, batteries, or keypad footprints.
This is why antenna integration should never be an afterthought. But it also shouldn’t be overengineered: cost and time still matter. As Voltaire put it: “Better is the enemy of good enough.”
Antenna performance alone isn’t enough; the solution also needs to be easy to integrate and manufactured consistently over the product’s lifetime. That’s where design reviews focused on Design for Manufacturing (DFM) come in. These cover everything from material choices, plating types, and IP/IK durability, to soldering profiles, connector types, adhesives, magnet strength, PCB thickness, and potting resins or ceramic formulations. Reviews also consider tooling, packaging, torque forces, power resistance, and both incoming and outgoing quality checks, ensuring every product meets spec on the production line.
eeNews: Sectors like medical, agriculture, and transport have unique RF requirements. How do you approach vertical customisation, and are platform or modular approaches helping you scale effectively?
What these sectors all have in common is the need for absolute reliability; products simply can’t fail in the field. Whether it’s a medical device or a piece of agricultural equipment, performance needs to hold up under real-world conditions. The core antenna design approach doesn’t change much, but the path to production is very different. In medical or transportation applications, qualification can take up to five years, compared to just six to 18 months for typical IoT devices.
These projects usually require customised products that are tested as part of the full system. Each sector has its particular expectations, IP or IK ratings, connector formats, resilience to vibration and thermal cycling, and cost-effective manufacturing technologies.
One interesting overlap we’re seeing is in drone applications. Whether they’re being used to spray crops, deliver medical supplies, or transport people, they need to be lightweight, tough, and weatherproof. That’s driven the development of high-precision GNSS patches built on Terrablast™, as well as flexible printed antennas and micro-coaxial assemblies that fit neatly into conformal spaces without compromising performance.
eeNews: As wireless technologies and customer expectations continue to evolve, what do you think will define leadership in RF and IoT integration over the next 3–5 years, and how is Taoglas positioning itself to lead?
Looking ahead, leadership in RF and IoT integration will come down to a few key things: innovation, strong engineering capabilities, and the ability to scale quickly across different regions and use cases. As everything becomes more connected, customers increasingly expect products that are reliable, easy to deploy, and backed by solid technical support.
It’s not just about having a broad product range; it’s about delivering high-quality designs quickly, validating them thoroughly, and supporting customers wherever they are. That takes in-house expertise, access to advanced lab facilities, and the flexibility to keep pace with shifting requirements and timelines.
What sets companies apart is how well they combine technical excellence with consistent, responsive support. At Taoglas, we’re focused on staying ahead, developing hundreds of new products each year, investing in our global engineering and test infrastructure, and ensuring we can support customers locally through a strong distribution network and dedicated teams worldwide.
Olivier Robin is the Chief Operating Officer at Taoglas. He has more than 25 years of experience in the antenna industry and has held executive positions in engineering, business development and general management at numerous companies. Olivier holds an MSc in electrical engineering with a speciality in telecoms, antennas and high-frequency electronics from ENSIL (Engineering School in Limoges, France), as well as a licentiate degree in high-frequency electronics and optoelectronics from IRCOM Limoges.
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