Tiny Radio-Clock-Receiver Antenna Comes In SMT Package

A tiny radio-clock-receiver antenna, the RCA-SMD series, is housed in a 75-mm x 15-mm x 6.3-mm surface-mount package. In a time-signal receiver circuit, the antenna is usually the biggest component used. The RCA-SMD series, however, has been miniaturized enough to be used in low-profile pc boards. In addition, complete integration means no flying wires or manual assembly. The component is supplied in tape-and-reel form, ready to use in automatic pick-and-place SMT production equipment. It’s shipped pre-tuned to the specified resonant frequency. The fine tuning process is done by a highly reliable automatic station that checks the antenna in real-time. These kind of antennas are configured as L-C resonant parallel tank (RCA-SMD-77A: 1.3 mH/3.3 nF for 77.5 kHz and RCA-SMD-60A: 2.1 mH/3.3 nF for 60 kHz), which offer a higher resistance (more than 75 kOhms) at resonance frequency (+/- 0.2 kHz). Example applications include automotive and outdoor lamp switch-on-off control systems. The standard SMD version of the radio clock antenna (40, 60, and 77.5 kHz) will be available by the third quarter of 2009. Through-hole and flying-lead versions should be ready by the end of the year. PREMO GROUP, Barcelona, Spain. +34 934 098 980.