Having trouble with LTE Electron and the FXUB63 Flexible antenna

Connectivity Cellular
1

Is anyone else having problems with the LTE Electron and the FXUB63 antenna?

We have a test rig where we have tested well over a hundred older 3G electrons with no significant issues. We are now testing the new LTE Electrons with the new antennas before packaging the devices up and shipping them with our product. However, we cannot keep them connected!

They will go through the process and get a viable signal for a few minutes and relay test data. Then they will lose connection and go back to flashing green. This weekend, I never got a signal back and it wasnt until I came back to the office, re-positioned the unit “maybe” 1 cm and rebooted and then it got a signal… for an addititional minute and then disconnected again.

We have gotten so used to the 3G models just “working” that this is very disconcerting but we switched to the LTE as we know the 3G service is being sunsetted in 2020-2021.

also, the LTE flexible antenna is slightly longer than the older, rigid antenna and will not fit properly in our case design. Is it ok for the flexible antenna to be bent or curved in order to fit in a space?

2

Hi there, I responded to your ticket, and I’m pasting this here for visibility.

3G and LTE CAT-M1 are two vastly different technologies, and you will see a different level of signal strenght.

A key note here is that Particle devices make use of LTE CAT-M1, a low-power, low bandwidth implementation of regular LTE as found in your cellular device. Good signal on your cellphone would not neccesarilly correlate to good signal on an LTE CAT-M1 device. 3G devices are capable of much higher power signals and would have a better range as a result.

You mentioned the antenna does not quite fit, and is bent as a result - this could be part of your problem. What orientation is your antenna mounted in? Is it close to metal? How is the antenna cable routed?

Have you tried testing these devices outside? Raising the height of the antenna can greatly increase the signal. The best orientation for the antenna is upright, with its thick sides pointing away from any metal.