30/9/2008

Ref: AMTG

Alpha Micro Components, a leading international distributor of electronic components, today announced that it has added Taoglas’ smallest ever active GPS Patch Antenna to its portfolio of embedded technologies. The new antenna patch module, designed for use in smartphones, PDAs, tracking, navigation devices and mobiles phones is the smallest available active GPS patch antenna module in the market.

Originally, developed for use in a touch-screen Smartphone device, this compact GPS antenna needed to be small, efficient, robust and reliable. The ceramic patch is specifically tuned for the product and it enables location-based services and navigation capabilities to be added to any wireless device quickly and easily without any development work at the customer end. Demand for such functionality is now rising, with requirements for all components, including the antenna, to be as small as possible. Taoglas has designed this miniature antenna and further ensured compatibility with all GPS receivers on the market by making the patch available in two formats: high-gain 2 stage LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) and low-gain 1 stage LNA.

The GPS patch antenna is available with a cable and connector which can be used for direct connection to a module or an onboard connector. Users requiring on-board integration, have the chance to opt for the Surface Mountable (SMT) format; the only active GPS antenna solution in this format, available on the market.

Taoglas has considerable experience and expertise working with ceramic materials allowing the company to produce these antennas equipped with high dielectric constants. This expertise equips the specialist with the capacity to miniaturise its products without performance compromise. Importantly Taoglas also has the ability to fine tune the antennas and align the centre frequency at the exact GPS bandwidth required for accurate and consistent operation.

Christos Papakyriacou, Managing Director, Alpha Micro Components comments; “This partnership with Taoglas is an invaluable addition to our portfolio of products. The company’s ability to fine tune the patches is an extremely difficult process to execute effectively for other vendors, hence the lack of small components of this nature in the market. Taoglas can guarantee us and our customers, optimum performance in its kit through its thorough quality control operation checks executed on each and every patch prior to shipping.”

Excellent GPS signal quality has led to its widespread use within the automotive and consumer electronics markets within products such as navigation and vehicle tracking devices for machine to machine (M2M) communication. “Our ceramic antennas are right-hand circularly polarised, thus matching the satellite, to ensure the new GPS patch delivers the best performance every time – even when facing sideways or upside down,” explains Dermot O’Shea, Director of European Operations at Taoglas.
For more information please visit: http://www.alphamicro.net/

About Alpha Micro Components www.alphamicro.net
Founded in 1995, Alpha Micro is a successful independent specialist franchised distributor focusing on the M2M market servicing the Telecoms, Datacoms, Security, Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) and Machine to Machine (M2M) sectors with components from world leading manufacturers, our franchised product lines include Lantronix, u-blox, Sagem, Meshnetics, Teridian Semiconductor and the company's own 'AMC' range - Alpha Micro has built an enviable reputation for product knowledge, customer service and innovation.

What really sets Alpha Micro apart from the competition is its design-based approach to distribution and it’s in depth knowledge of the products and the markets we serve. Our current line card brings you the finest wireless and communications products and to get you started our engineering team offers the best available technical support.

About GPS Patch Antennas
M2M (machine to machine) modules allow machines to communicate with each other through wireless networks and without any human input, thus becoming intelligent.
M2M modules can now be found in devices such as sales terminals and alarm systems.
The technology also facilitates remote management and data collection of machines and equipment in areas as varied as hire car fleets, security, health, the environment, office equipment…

About Taoglas
Established in 2004, Taoglas Ltd is a worldwide antenna solutions provider. Headquartered in Wexford, Ireland, the company additionally houses product development centres in Taiwan and San Diego, USA. Taoglas provides the entire antenna solution from concept and design through to ongoing production delivery. They provide solutions for all frequencies (GSM, GPS, WiMax etc) so they are a one point contact for all the antennas for any device. It uses a variety of materials to achieve the best possible embedded antenna performance for YOUR device and offers customisation across the industry.

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