Laird Technologies has readied a new FM antenna solution that can be incorporated directly inside a handset device. According to the developer, the new Activv antenna is an improvement on the RadioAnt antenna, the company’s current offering for FM radio functionality. The new antenna design offers improved performance, minimal size, ease of installation and low cost, said Laird.

Replacing the RadioAnt antenna, the Activv antenna is a leading edge miniature internal antenna circuit providing the combination of FM, impedance matching and signal amplification, the manufacturer said. It offers improved sensitivity of 5 dB compared with the RadioAnt. This improved sensitivity offers significant antenna improvement, which helps the performance of the total electronic system, added Laird.

Another improvement is the size. The Activv antenna is 25% smaller than the RadioAnt antenna and can therefore fit into smaller mobile devices and gives manufacturers more flexibility when designing compact electronic systems.

The RadioAnt antenna performs well when it is close proximity with the human body but the Activv antenna offers enhanced reception performance both when it is close proximity with the human body as well as in “free space.”

“The new Activv internal FM antenna and circuit provides performance similar to or better than a corded headset,” said Craig Somach, sales director. “In addition, the antenna radiator size is further reduced to allow implementation in virtually all mobile devices. Furthermore, the frequency range has been extended to 76-108 MHz.”

Designed for handsets, gaming devices, consumer devices and other portable or wearable wireless devices, the rpice tag for the Activv antenna solution will range from $.50 to $2.00, depending on the level of customization required, according to the manufacturer.