NEO-M9N - Integration manual
Active antennas for GNSS application are usually powered through a DC bias on the RF cable. A
simple bias-T as in
can be used to add this DC current to the RF signal line. The bias voltage
can be supplied either by the VCC_RF pin of the module or by an external antenna supply.
Figure 33: NEO-M9N active antenna example circuit (bias-T)
Part
Recommended value
Description
C1
X7R 100 nF 10% 16 V
Bias-T capacitor removes high frequency noise coming from the DC supply.
L1
27 nH, impedance > 500 Ω
at GNSS frequency, rated
current > 300 mA
Bias-T inductor isolates RF from the DC path.
R1
10 Ω 10% 0.25 W
Current limiter series resistor in the event of a short circuit.
Table 26: Components in active antenna example circuit (bias-T)
Design recommendations:
• If the application has a passive antenna with sufficient gain but the antenna is located far away
from the module, an additional external LNA must be placed close to the passive antenna.
• If the application needs an active antenna, it is recommended to use an OEM active antenna
module meeting u-blox's specification.
• A suitable ground plane is required for the antenna to achieve good performance.
• Active antenna may have strong gain. For maximum external gain, see the Data sheet [
] in
Related documents.
• A series current limiting resistor is required to prevent short-circuits destroying the bias-t
inductor.
• If the VCC_RF voltage of the NEO-M9N module does not match the supply voltage of the active
antenna, use a filtered external supply instead of the VCC_RF.
• The antenna circuit should include filtering to ensure adequate protection from the nearby
transmitters' interface. Take care in designing the circuit of antennas placed close to cellular or
Wi-Fi transmitting antennas.
• An ESD protection diode should also be connected to the input.
It is recommended to use active current limiting. If active current limiting is not used, take into
account the following important points:
The bias-t inductor and current limiting resistor must be selected to be reliable with a short-
circuit on the antenna feed. In cases where the module supplies the voltage via VCC_RF, a
higher value resistor will be needed to ensure the module supply inductor is protected. The
UBX-19014286 - R07
4 Design
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