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Antennas

PyCubed Connectors

PyCubed comes with an SMA Female connector installed for Radio #1.

  • Use SMA Male cables or antennas to properly mate with the onboard connector.
  • If using the default PyCubed radio, make sure the antenna is appropriate for 433 MHz

Illustrating the difference between SMA Male and SMA Female connectors.

Benchtop Testing

Wire Monopole

For development work inside or outside the classroom, the most inexpensive antenna solution is simply soldering a piece of wire to the center conductor of the SMA connector on the bottom of the board. The piece of wire forms a monopole antenna.

For a quarter-wavelength monopole antenna:

  1. Calculate the wavelength of your center frequency

    λ=Cf\lambda = \frac{C}{f}

    where c is the speed of light (about 3×1083\times10^{8} m/s) and f is the frequency in Hz

  1. Divide wavelength by 4: (λ/4\lambda/4 ) to determine the correct length of wire

Sparkfun illustration of a monopole antenna

For 433 MHz

f = 433 MHz = 433×106433 \times 10^{6} Hz

λ=3×108433×106=0.69284\lambda = \frac{3\times10^{8}}{433 \times 10^{6}} = 0.69284 meters

λ/4=0.69284/4=0.1732\lambda/4 = 0.69284/4 = 0.1732 meters = 173.2173.2 mm wire

Whip Antenna

Commercial "whip" antennas are relatively inexpensive as well and will mount directly to the RF connector on the PyCubed board.

CubeSat Antennas

🚧 Under Construction 🚧