Antenna Design That Holds Up in the Real World
Most antenna problems are not “draw a dipole and call it done.” They are constraints stacked on top of each other: size, matching, nearby metal, human tissue, regulatory limits, manufacturing, and a schedule that does not care how elegant the simulation looks.
That is the work I do through SkyWaveRF LLC.
Where the experience comes from
I have spent more than 15 years designing and testing antennas and RF systems in two demanding environments:
- Satellite communications — link budgets, vehicle-level integration, and antennas that have to work once they leave the ground
- Medical devices — neuromodulation implants, Bluetooth and other short-range links, and the compliance path that follows (FDA, EMC, wireless coexistence)
Those two worlds teach different lessons, each having unique constraints.
How I approach a design
A typical engagement looks like this:
- Clarify the real requirement
Frequency, bandwidth, environment, keep-out volumes, connectors, and what “good enough” actually means for the product — not just the spec sheet.
- Model with intent
Full-wave simulation (e.g., Ansys Electronics desktop/HFSS, OpenEMS, Ticra) plus enough circuit-level matching work so the antenna and the front end are not fighting each other.
- Build and measure
Prototypes, matching networks, and RF test that can stand next to the simulation. If the two disagree, the measurement wins and the model gets fixed.
- Leave a trail the next engineer can use
Drawings, simulation notes, test data, and a clear statement of what was traded and why.
