A GPS antenna is required for operation. Any passive GPS antenna with an appropriate
connection to the Modem’s U.FL male connector or via the GPS_OUT pin is acceptable for use.
One such example of a passive antenna is: [Molex Part Number 1461860300].
Active GPS antennas are supported at 3.3V and up to 35mA. Any active antennas that require
a different voltage or maximum current must be powered by the user’s host device.
6.2.2 Ground Plane Requirements
An antenna counterpoise or antenna ground plane is required for the Swarm Coiled ¼ Wave
Antenna. Ground planes are electrically conductive surfaces that are connected to the ground
conductor of the antenna that serve as a reflecting surface for radio waves.
To date, Swarm has reliably communicated with its satellites using a coiled ¼-wave antenna
with a 50 cm long, 20 AWG (0.812mm diameter) wire descending from the ground of the SMA
connector of the antenna mount. Swarm has also reliably communicated with its satellites using
a solar panel off to one side as the ground plane of sufficient size: 30cm x 30cm x 0.3cm
Integrated solutions are recommended to be designed with the use of a symmetrical ground
plane or similar RF grounding solution for the best results with a Swarm-provided antenna.
November 2021 Swarm M138 Modem Manual - Rev 1.00 29/77
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