Optimizing Utility Metering Efficiency with Raltron's RLX Series Metal Helix Antennas
With its RLX Series of metal helix antennas, Raltron—a world pioneer in high performance frequency management components and wireless antenna products—is making wireless antenna designs simpler and extending operational life for utility metering applications.
Brass or phosphor bronze are the two materials used in the construction of the ruggedized omnidirectional RLX antennas for utility meters for the best outside performance in residential and commercial applications. These antennas, which can survive extreme heat and cold, are built to last at least 10 years longer than the standard 5-year warranty, which greatly lowers the need to replace meters in the field.
The antenna design must be compatible with the other metal components on the main PC board of the meter, hence the PC board's profile is crucial. Raltron assists customers by specifying the compensating inductor-capacitor circuitry to maintain the appropriate antenna frequency and desired bandwidth in order to improve circuit performance and retain the best efficiency for each meter application. By offering a free evaluation and study of the customer's PC board configuration, Raltron ensures that the antenna frequency won't be changed.
From 169 MHZ to 960 MHz, the RLX antennas offer the appropriate operational frequency range for utility metering. In order to guarantee that the system will be readable from the designated reading places and distances, this antenna gain is dimensioned.
According to Lawson Williams, Raltron's Antenna Product Manager, "Metering customers who use our free analysis service enable us to optimize circuits with additional compensating circuitry to keep their product on frequency and to give them a higher efficiency antenna." "If the antenna is placed too close to another metal component on the board, the antenna frequency may shift. Since not everyone performs this analysis, the field's performance has significantly improved.
Regarding Raltron
Raltron, a privately held, ISO-9001:2015 certified business, was established in 1983 and provides the most complete line of frequency management products in the market. Crystal resonators, clock oscillators, VCXOs, TCXOs, OCXOs, VCOs, SAW and LTCC filters, ceramic resonators, and a variety of IoT-compatible antennas, RF cable assemblies, and RF connectors are among the items that Raltron develops, manufactures, and distributes globally. Raltron is committed to long-term growth through investments in its traditional sectors, such as telecom infrastructure, consumer goods, business services, healthcare, industrial, and IoT and M2M. Through a global network of individually owned agents and franchised distributors, its products are promoted.
