M7E-PICO-CB – RF Connector and Antenna Port Clarification

Interconnect Cable Assemblies
,
1

We are currently using the M7E-PICO-CB for a UHF RFID project:

M7E-PICO-CB:
https://www.digikey.at/en/products/detail/thingmagic-a-jadak-brand/M7E-PICO-CB/22115323

We are planning to use it together with the following RFID antenna:

TE Connectivity S9028PCRJ96RTN:

We noticed that the carrier board has four RF connectors, but the documentation does not explain their function.

Could you please clarify:

  1. What type of RF connectors are used on the board?
  2. Are these four connectors Antenna Ports 1–4?
  3. Can we connect two external antennas directly to the board, or is an external RF multiplexer required?
  4. Which adapter cable or RF pigtail do you recommend for connecting the S9028PCRJ96RTN antennas?

Thank you very much for your support.

Kind regards,
Madlmayr Christian

2

@madlmayrchristian

I will submit an inquiry to see if the supplier can provide more documentation and insight on this.

3

@madlmayrchristian

The below would be the responses the manufacturer provided for your questions.

  • The PICO-CB uses U.FL (I-PEX compatible) RF connectors.
  • The four RF connectors on the carrier board provide support for multiple antenna connections. Since the PICO has a single RF interface, only one antenna is active at a time.
  • An external RF multiplexer is not required when using the PICO carrier board, as the board provides the RF switching functionality.

For the cable, based on the information provided for the board and that S9028PCRJ96RTN antenna.
The below link shows the cables I had found that do U.FL to RP-TNC conversion.
Coaxial Cables (RF) | Cable Assemblies | DigiKey

The below would be the documentation the manufacturer provided for the board.
PICO_DEKA-mechanical-files-step-drawings.zip (222.3 KB)
SCH-10112_RevB_Pico_Deka_CB_Schematic.pdf (404.2 KB)
TM_Pico_Deka-UG Rev_06052024.pdf (1.7 MB)
PICO-CB_PCB-10098_RevC_Fab.zip (1.2 MB)