Data Sheet

BMD-360 - Data sheet
UBX-19039466 - R03 RF design notes Page 16 of 31
6 RF design notes
6.1 Recommended RF layout and ground plane
For the BMD-360, the integrated antenna requires a suitable ground plane to radiate effectively.
The area under and extending out from the antenna portion of the module should be kept clear of
copper and other metal. The module should be placed at the edge of the PCB with the antenna edge
facing out. Reducing the ground plane from that shown in Figure 6 will reduce the effective radiated
power. For example, a 27 mm x 29 mm board (about the size of a coin cell) has approximately 3dB
lower output than the BMD-360 Evaluation Board.
These RF guidelines for the BMD-360 are the same as the BMD-300 module. Designs incorporating
the BMD-300 will have similar RF performance with the BMD-360 module.
Figure 6: Recommended RF layout and ground plane for BMD-360
6.2 Mechanical enclosure
Care should be taken when designing and placing the BMD-360 module into an enclosure. Metal
should be kept clear from the antenna area, both above and below. Any metal around the module can
negatively impact RF performance.
The module is designed and tuned for the antenna and RF components to be in free air. Any potting,
epoxy fill, plastic over-molding, or conformal coating can negatively impact RF performance and must
be evaluated by the customer.