LP-2458 Antenna

Introduction

20-August-2019 Update:

WA5VJB Kent Britain just tested our last antenna revision (the one we did showcase at DEFCON 27) at his antenna range in Texas, and here are reported gain measurements:

2.40 GHz - 7.6 dBi
2.44 GHz - 8.1 dBi
2.48 GHz - 8.0 dBi
5.20 GHz - 8.2 dBi
5.40 GHz - 8.3 dBi
5.60 GHz - 7.9 dBi
5.80 GHz - 8.1 dBi
6.00 GHz - 7.2 dBi

Back to business...

The LP-2458 is a custom designed, dual-band log periodic antenna for high sensitivity reception in the frequencies specific to WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth, Zigbee (802.15.4), or any other technology operating in either the range 2.3 - 2.6 GHz or 5.0 - 6.0 GHz, or both. The antenna consists of two separate segments joined together: One segment covering the 2.3-2.6 GHz band, and the other one covering the 5.0 - 6.0 GHz band. This approach allows users to achieve the maximum possible gain for target frequencies within practical PCB size constraints.

The high-quality PCB construction features multiple mounting holes to make it easy to mount in the project case of your choice. Its targeted frequency range and high gain characteristics make your LP-2458 antenna perfectly suited for areas with marginal coverage.

With a gain of 7.5dBi and frequency range of 2.3 - 2.6 GHz and 5.0 - 6.0 GHz, this is an ideal antenna for an RF environment with WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth, Zigbee (802.15.4) or any other technology operating in the target RF frequencies.

The directional characteristics of log periodic antennas makes this an excellent choice for use in novel applications.

Where to Buy

LP-2458 Antenna Features

Dual segment Log Periodic Antenna for 2.3 - 2.6 GHz and 5.0 - 6.0 GHz
7.5 dBi gain ( 20 dBi gain LNA version )
High Quality PCB Design
SMA feed connector arrangement
Easy to install and convenient to use, with multiple mounting holes
Ideal for directional antenna arrays, signals and communications intelligence (SIGINT, COMINT, ELINT), Software Defined Radio (SDR), spectrum analysis and direction finding
Compatible with WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth, Zigbee (802.15.4) or any other technology operating in the frequency ranges 2.3 - 2.6 GHz AND 5.0 - 6.0 GHz
Designed and built in Canada

Availability

Assembled and tested LP-2458 models are available for pre-orders HERE.

All our appliances and components are assembled and tested by local staff (Ottawa, Canada).

Documentation & Support

Coming soon...

LP-2458 Story and Use Cases

What Makes The LP-2458 Antenna So Unique And Powerful?

This dual-band LPDA antenna consists of two separate segments joined together: One segment covering the 2.3-2.6 GHz band, and another one covering the 5.0-6.0 GHz band. This approach allows users to achieve the maximum possible gain for target frequencies within practical PCB size constraints.

Furthermore, the LP-2458 antenna provides a remarkable gain of 7.5-8.0 dBi on both bands with an acceptable return loss figure (roughly -25 dB for 2.3-2.6 GHz and roughly -10 dB for 5.0-6.0 GHz). No other affordable commercially printed circuit antenna with a similar physical profile will produce the same gain on a real-world antenna range!

Why Are We Doing This?

LPDA antennas are an ideal candidate for directional data collection and antenna array applications for the following reasons:

Very wide bandwidth
The same radiation resistance over their frequency range
The same SWR whether at the low point of its frequency range or the high end
The same gain and back to front ratio, high forward gain
Feed point impedance is mostly constant
Highly directional antenna design

As one of our major areas of development involves large scale Wifi spectrum monitoring where simultaneous WiFi and Bluetooth RF source direction finding is necessary, we thought finding a suitable antenna would be as easy as pie. Specifically, we were after the 2.4-2.5 GHz and 5.0-6.0 GHz bands to support 801.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band WiFI and Bluetooth.

After doing extensive research into the directional RF antenna domain, reading hundreds of research papers and academic writings, we came across two vital problems.

PROBLEM #1: Commercially available Log Period antennas make claims which are not consistent with theoretical calculations and testing on antenna range.

Many commercial vendors claim they can accomplish a signal gain of 9-10 dBi within the 2.0-6.0 GHZ spectrum. However, the calculations seen within pivotal works on log-periodic antenna theory show that such claims are not feasible. To satisfy the claims being made, the antenna would need to be about 50cm long within a legacy “open air” design. And in the case of PCB implementation, you would suffer a significant signal loss that automatically eliminates any efforts for further signal gain.

PROBLEM #2: Designing a powerful dual-band LPDA antenna is a difficult endeavor, requiring the guidance of a REAL-WORLD professional in the field.

We knew that we needed expert advice from somebody who lives and breathes the subject, so we turned to the only person who we knew could help us...

Enter Kent Britain, an internationally recognized leader in everything and anything related to RF antenna design. You may already know him from his numerous conference presentations, his well-written articles, or through his extensive network in the tech space. He is the man behind the WA5VJB portal, which you can find at www.wa5vjb.com.

Kent was extremely generous to us, both with his advice and with his time. He spent many hours discussing various LPDA antenna design concepts, suggesting the most optimal options for achieving our goals:

“Over the last few years, I have developed many PCB log periodic antennas from 400 MHz to 11 GHz. I wish I could say I have a secret design process, but there were many variations and small pieces of metal tape on the early models.

And while there are software programs such as IE3D and HFSS that can analyze a log periodic antenna on a dielectric surface, I do not know of any programs that can design such an antenna. These antennas are the result of hours and hours of work on the Network Analyzer and out on the antenna range.”

And so, our journey into designing our own custom log periodic antenna array began.

Applications - What Are LP-2458 Use Cases?

Ideal for directional antenna arrays, signals and communications intelligence (SIGINT, COMINT, ELINT), Software Defined Radio (SDR), spectrum analysis and direction finding
Compatible with WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth, Zigbee (802.15.4) or any other technology operating in the range 2 GHz to 7 GHz
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac access points and routers
802.16 and 802.20 WiMAX applications
Distributed Antenna Systems, DAS, Ultra Wide Band (UWB) applications
National Security and Public Safety Services: Fire, Police, Security