Fractus Antennas’ Virtual Antenna™ components will be available within NI AWR software beginning in April (2019). Any NI AWR user can choose a Fractus antenna component from the NN Library set and implement the associated matching network within the range from 650 MHz to 6 GHz.

This new design option reflects a partnership between National Instruments and Fractus Antennas, another step toward Fractus Antennas’ commitment to making wireless design and antenna integration easy and complete. This integration will accelerate the time to market of any wireless design supporting the upcoming IoT wave.

According to Fractus Antennas, this is the first time any customer will be able to complete an RF design in one step from within an RF circuit design platform. Because the antenna does not need customization, it is treated as any other electronic component; by only adjusting the matching network to the frequency band for the application, the design, including the antenna, is completed.

The Fractus Antennas XML library is available within the elements tab of NI AWR Design Environment software. Based on Fractus’ Virtual Antenna technology, the software offers S-parameters for several wireless platforms, with dimensions for the associated PCB ground plane form factor and clearance area. By choosing the file with the closest specs to the device, the user can implement the matching network with just a few mouse clicks.

The capability will be demonstrated at the EDI CON China conference (1–3 April), where Fractus Antennas will present the workshop, “Antenna Boosters for IoT Devices.”