Hi all! I’m a firmware developer with little knowledge in analog electronics… I deal with firmware for IOT projects all the time.
I had to make a breakout board with an off the shelf RF module with self contained PCB antenna. Now I’m intrigued in the hardware side. I’m inclined to design them from scratch myself. (Obviously ignoring the EMI and FCC certifications for the time being).
What concepts should I be familiar with to achieve this? Starting on I figured to brush up on circuit theory and signals. Where do I go from here? What materials would you recommend? Hopefully I don’t need to get into hardcore RF theory to design these PCBs (I know kicad already has these premade antenna blocks).
Thank you.
I’ve been blow away how inexpensive they’ve become. I’m getting 1W 433 modules for like $15 now, I think I got them off amazon last time. They’re not on a public band or power rating, at least for NA, but I have a ham license so in my area I’m OK, and besides, nobody else is going to notice.
At one time I was using the Heltec Lora V2 modules but they’re way more expensive for low power and I became convinced they had no ESD hardening because if I looked at them sideways they’d crater.
I made a couple of my own shit designs with integrated antennas and they worked, but it’s not my forte. I made them because getting 433 was hard at the time, and I was convinced I needed the lower freq to get better LOS through trees.
haha I guess cheap is relative :) I was considering parts at 4 to 5$ range. But i’m talking about low power ble/zigbee etc…