RF Design

Since 2001, when Pirelli Labs were established, knowledge and skills on radiofrequency (RF) design of innovative telecommunication devices have been developed. The applications selected regard mobile (GSM, UMTS) and wireless local area networks (WiFi). Among developed devices there are integrated antenna systems, variable delay lines and superconducting filters.

Dielectric Antenna for low power UMTS base station realized with polymeric composite materials

Pirelli Broadband Solutions ADSL access gateway with Dielectric conformal antenna integrated

Picture of ceramic superconducting filter for UMTS mobile network

Among integrated antenna systems, the new innovative class "Conformal Dielectric Antennas" based on dielectric composite materials was introduced. The innovative technology, implemented by Pirelli Labs, Materials Innovation in collaboration with Pirelli Broadband Solutions and Telecom Italia, allows the fine control of material dielectric properties at radiofrequency and main antenna parameters (radiation pattern, gain, mechanical robustness) still keeping performance similar to those of external antennas. Through the control of dielectric properties, composite materials are used to design and implement antennas with high level of integration and performance.

For UMTS network application area, the use of dielectric materials allows to reduce the dimensions of antenna for indoor coverage, while for WiFi networks it allows to design antenna in plastic material suitable for the integration inside the box of the devices.

An example of this kind of antenna developed in Pirelli Labs was presented to the IEC Broadband World Forum Europe, in Paris from the 10th to the 12th of October 2006  (press release about Conformal Dielectric Antennas) .

In the same time, delay line devices for a technique of antenna diversity (DDD-Dynamic Delay Diversity) have been developed in collaboration with Telecom Italia. Such technique allows telecom operators to enhance the performance of the mobile network, in terms of capacity (number of users) and coverage (cell size). It consists of an add-on module which fits on existent apparatuses (radio base station).

Core of the first Dielectric Conformal Antenna for WiFi application

Schematic of the DDD technique

The core of this device consists of a ceramic with high dielectric constant which perturbs the e.m. field and modifies the phase delay of the signal.

Still for mobile network application, RF superconducting filters with high performances have been designed, realized and tested.