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cc3200 External Antenna

Matthew Edel
Prodigy 80 points
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: CC3200

I am testing a CC3200 Launchpad XL with an external antenna, and the RSSI that I am measuring is 16 dB worse than the RSSI that I measure with the chip antenna.

The only thing that I did to switch from a chip antenna to an external antenna was to rotate R111 90 degrees and solder it in place of R110. Do I need to take other steps to switch to the u.fl socket?

I'm noticing the component L8 that is not placed on the board. Does that need to be matched to the antenna I am using?

I've tried several different quarter-wave antennas and dipole antennas, but the results are all significantly worse than when the board is configured for the chip antenna.

  • 0
    TI__Genius 11120 points

    Matthew

    Your board modifcation for external antenna is correct. There is no other operation needed other than swapping the resistors. There is no need of L8 as it was reserved to match an antenna in case it is not 50 Ohms.

    Can you make sure that the cable you have used is not damaged. We have seen that the U.FL cables are very easy to get damaged with multiple insertions.

    Also check for the antenna connector type. sometimes these antenna/u.fl cable come with reverse SMA connectors and they would not offer the centre pin contact.

     

  • 0 in reply to Prajay Madhavan
    Prodigy 80 points

    Thanks for the information. The antennas and cables that I've tested don't appear to be damaged. I just got another board in the mail today, and the antennas work as expected with the new board, so I don't think they are the problem.

    I think that I may have damaged the U.FL socket on the board.

  • 0 in reply to Prajay Madhavan
    Guru 86765 points

    Hi Prajay,

         Just additional questions.

         If the resistor remains at R111 you can connect an external antenna at J24. This way wifi signal goes to external antenna connected at J24 and not to the chip antenna?

         Also a noob question regarding antenna connectors.

         Is the Murata connector also a U.FL connector? Because it is definitely smaller than the U. FL. connector at J18.

    - kel