Abracon Corporation's APAE series of passive patch antennas provides a low-cost system level solution for GPS, RFID, SDARS, and GLONASS based architectures.

• A patch antenna is a type of low-profile radio antenna that is ideal for applications in which the antenna sits on a flat surface.
• Patch antennas are flat, lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to mount.
• Electrical connection with PCB is reached by soldering the silver pin through the hole on the PCB. Subsequently, the RF signal propagates through the PCB to excite the patch antenna.
• GPS and GLONASS patch antennas are commonly used in automotive navigation, cell phones, and laptops. GLONASS, which is an alternative to the United States' GPS, is most popular in Russia.
• GPS passive patch antennas are used when the GPS receiver's line-of-sight is blocked. For example, a car’s windshield can block signals from reaching the GPS receiver. A passive patch antenna placed atop the car can easily decipher the signals and transmit them to the GPS receiver.
• SDARS’s (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services) patch antenna is used in satellite radios such as Sirius Radio.
• RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) antennas operate using specific radio frequencies. In the United States, 915 MHz is popular, while in Europe, 868 MHz RFID patch antennas are utilized.
• Patch antennas should be tuned to the ground-plane (PCB) on which they are mounted. Abracon offers an optimization service for the tuning of the standard patch antennas; customers should review the standard parts and then rely on Abracon in their NPI phase to optimize the solution and obtain a custom part number.

The APAE series of passive patch antennas is available through Abracon's Global Distribution partners at a competitive distribution resale.