IoT Pro External Antenna

What you’ll need

  • 1 mm drill bit (if an additional hole for an antenna needs to be made)

  • 7 mm drill bit (if an additional hole for an antenna needs to be made)

External antenna locations

The IoT Pro caters for seven external antenna locations depending on the orientation of the device after installation

  • The different external antenna locations are shown below:


Adding an external antenna after delivery

Ensure that no wires are near the drilling location when drilling holes into your device

  1. Identify the desired external antenna location.

    1. The different external antenna drilling locations are identified as shown below:

      (additional locations are also marked with a groove on the inside of the housing)


    2. The drilling locations for the external antenna can also be identified by the following features on the inside of the housing:


  2. Open the device as explained in Opening and Closing

  3. Remove all boards inside your device to prevent any damage from occurring during drilling, refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards

  4. Use a 1 mm drill bit to drill a pilot hole at the end of the feature (as shown by the red marks above)

  5. Use a 7 mm drill bit to widen the pilot hole to the correct size

  6. Remove any plastic burrs from the hole with a deburring tool to ensure that a tight seal is created

  7. Install the SMA connector as shown, and tighten the lock nut to 1±0.05 Nm with a calibrated torque wrench

    You should request IoT to send you the SMA connector, if extras were not already shipped to you and you do not have


  8. Install the main board (refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards) and connect the external antenna to the UFL connector shown below:


  9. Re-install the battery or DC Power board (refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards)

  10. Close the device as explained in Opening and Closing

External antenna options

Four different external antenna types can be provided with your device:

  • Short-straight antenna

  • Short-angle antenna

  • Plastic through-the-lid (TTL) antenna

  • Through-the-lid (TTL) antenna with acetal protector

Applying amalgamating tape

When external antennas are used outdoors or in a humid environment, amalgamating tape must be applied to the exposed thread portion of the connector to provide additional protection against corrosion

(Unless provided, amalgamating tape must be purchased from the approved supplier: https://eshop.wuerth.com.mt/self-fusing-shrink-tape

  • Amalgamating tape must be applied to the exposed portion of the thread as follows:

    1. Cut a 15 cm long piece of amalgamating tape (if provided with an entire roll)

    2. Expose a small section of the tape by removing the white plastic sheating



    3. Stretch the tape to apply and start applying from the antenna towards the connector as shown

      It is very important to apply the tape in the same direction of rotation as tightening the external antenna, so as not to loosen the antenna by applying the tape in the opposite direction


    4. Continue to stretch the tape whilst applying to ensure that a sufficient seal is created



    5. Once finished, tie a cable tie as shown to secure the loose end of the tape



Short-straight antenna

  1. The short-straight antenna is installed as shown

  2. Apply amalgamating tape as explained previously


Short-angle antenna

  1. The short-angle antenna is installed as shown

  2. Apply amalgamating tape as explained previously


Plastic TTL antenna

The Plastic Antenna should be used when you need a Through the Lid Antenna to achieve better network signal especially if IoT Pro is in a metal box, or under a metal lid and the network is weak, and no major external force like people walking over or cars driving over antenna will be applied to the external antenna.

  1. To install the plastic TTL antenna, first drill a 26 mm diameter hole with a cone drill at the intended location

  2. Remove any burrs with a deburring tool

  3. Remove the nut from the TTL antenna

    1. Ensure that the O-ring remains seated in the designated groove in the antenna body

  4. Pass the antenna cable through the drilled hole

  5. Pass the antenna nut towards the antenna body

  6. Tighten the nut by hand until the base of the TTL body sits flush with the surface

  7. Tighten the antenna connector onto the SMA connector

  8. Apply amalgamating tape to the exposed thread as explained previously


TTL antenna with Protector

The TTL antenna with protector should be used when you need a Through the Lid Antenna to achieve better network signal especially if IoT Pro is in a metal box, or under a metal lid and the network is weak, and a major external force like people walking over or cars driving over antenna will be applied to the external antenna.

  1. To install the TTL antenna with protector, first drill a 13 mm diameter hole at the intended location

  2. Remove any burrs with a deburring tool

  3. Remove the M12 nut from the TTL antenna and separate the antenna body from the acetal protector

  4. Centre the acetal protector on the 12 mm hole drilled previously and mark the two bolt holes for the protector on the surface of the intended location


  5. Drill two 7 mm holes at the marked locations

  6. Remove any burrs with a deburring tool

  7. Install the acetal protector with two M6 bolts (length depends on the thickness of the surface) and M6 nuts



  8. Pass the antenna body through the protector

  9. Pass the provided M12 nut towards the antenna body



  10. Tighten the M12 nut by hand to secure the antenna body

    Make sure that the nut is left slightly loose so force when car drives over is transmitted through the acetal protector and not the antenna neck, which can otherwise break

  11. Tighten the antenna connector onto the SMA connector

  12. Apply amalgamating tape to the exposed thread as explained previously



External coaxial cable extensions

When installing a coaxial cable extension, always apply amalgamating tape to the joints by following the same procedure explained previously

  • Three different coaxial cable extensions can be provided with your device:

    • 50 cm extension

    • 5 m extension

    • 10 m extension

External antenna bracket

If your device will be installed in a subterranean environment where cell-phone reception is limited, we highly recommend that an external antenna is installed in an opening as close as possible to ground level (such as in a shaft which leads to the ground floor)

In such cases, a bracket can be provided with your device which allows an external antenna to be mounted securely

  1. The external antenna bracket can be installed in three different ways:

    1. Using 2x plastic anchors/ M4 self-drill screws/ M4 bolts and nuts (kindly specify the surface to which the bracket will be installed so that the appropriate fasteners are provided)


    2. Using 2x cable ties (length depends on the installation requirements) to install the bracket to a horizontal fixture


    3. Using 2x cable ties (length depends on the installation requirements) to install the bracket to a vertical fixture


  2. To install an external antenna onto the bracket, first apply amalgamating tape to the male end of the coaxial cable extension as shown:




  3. Install the male end of the coaxial cable extension onto the bracket as shown:



  4. Install a short-straight antenna and tighten by hand

  5. Apply amalgamating tape as explained previously, from the antenna down to the coaxial cable connector (shown in red)




  6. Connect the female end of the coaxial cable to the SMA connector on your device

  7. Apply amalgamating tape to the exposed thread as explained previously

Changing from an internal to an external antenna after delivery

If your device has been supplied with an internal antenna but an external antenna is required, a hardware modification must be made which must be carried out by a qualified electrician or authorized technician

  1. To change your device antenna from the internal to an external one, first open the device as explained in Opening and Closing

  2. Remove the battery or DC Power board depending on the device configuration (refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards)

  3. Remove the GPIO board and the main board (refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards)

  4. Locate the antenna resistor shown below:


    This configuration shows IoT Pro to use the Internal Antenna

    This configuration shows IoT Pro to use the Internal Antenna



  5. Apply some solder to the empty pad shown below:



    We recommend that soldering tweezers are used in the following steps

  6. Remove the resistor shown in red from its present location




  7. Solder the same resistor in the following orientation:


    This configuration shows IoT Pro to use the External Antenna with the UFL Connector

    This configuration shows IoT Pro to use the External Antenna with the UFL Connector



  8. Check visually that the solder joints are of good quality following IPC-A-610 - Class 2

  9. Install the SMA connector in the desired location on your device by following the steps explained previously “Adding an external antenna“

  10. Install the main board (refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards)

  11. Connect the external antenna connector to the UFL connector on the main board as explained previously

  12. Re-install the GPIO board and battery or DC Power board (refer to IoT Pro Assemble and Disassemble Boards)

  13. Close the device as explained in Opening and Closing