2.4–2.5 GHz 11 dBi CPE Panel Antenna with RG178 Cable and I-PEX Connector, CPE00026

The 2.4 GHz band remains the workhorse of short-range wireless, and the demand for CPE hardware that holds a stable link at range has never been higher. Product teams are constantly challenged to put a real radiating aperture inside an enclosure that is thin, sheet-metal cheap, and already crowded with a mainboard, a heat spreader and a power supply. The solution lies in flat-plate antenna modules that carry their own ground plane and reach the radio through a short, flexible pigtail. We are proud to introduce the 2.4–2.5 GHz 11 dBi CPE Panel Antenna, model CPE00026, a built-in directional module engineered for CPE, wireless bridge and Wi-Fi gateway platforms.

This antenna is a practical combination of a stamped aluminium radiator and a short coaxial feed. Its core advantage is the format: a 180 × 69.4 mm aluminium plate only 1 mm thick, with two RG178 leads terminated in I-PEX (MHF) plugs, so the module mounts directly onto the inside of a CPE housing with two H6 screws. The operating band covers 2.4–2.5 GHz at 50 Ohm nominal impedance, with a nominal gain of 11 ±0.7 dBi. Because the radiator is metal rather than laminate, it does not need a separate carrier board and it holds its shape when the enclosure is screwed shut. It is the practical choice for platforms where the antenna must disappear into the product, not decorate it.

Technical Excellence: The Core Advantage

The module's performance rests on three things: the aluminium plate radiator, the matching discipline that keeps the band flat, and the twin RG178 leads with I-PEX plugs that make the mechanical integration simple.

11 dBi Nominal Gain on a 1 mm Aluminium Plate

The radiating element is a stamped aluminium sheet measuring 180 × 69.4 mm at 1 mm thickness, formed into two coupled sections with an interconnecting bridge. That geometry gives the module a nominal gain of 11 ±0.7 dBi without the thickness penalty of a conventional patch stack. Metal-plate radiators bring two practical benefits for CPE builders. First, the plate is mechanically self-supporting, so the module can be located by two H6 screws and does not need a plastic carrier or double-sided tape. Second, the metal is a stable dielectric environment: humidity and temperature drift act on it far less than on a laminate stack, which matters because the operating range here is −20 °C to +70 °C with storage down to −30 °C and up to +80 °C. Chamber measurements at 2.4, 2.45 and 2.5 GHz show a 3 dB beamwidth in the range of roughly 46° to 67°, matching a directional link where the peer antenna sits in a known direction.

Matching Discipline Across 2.4–2.5 GHz

The datasheet limit is VSWR ≤1.92 across the full 2.4–2.5 GHz band. Measured on a network analyser, the module returns 1.88 at 2.4 GHz, 1.24 at 2.45 GHz and 1.99 at the 2.5 GHz band edge, with return loss of 16.96 dB, 19.44 dB and 9.78 dB at those three points. That profile is what a CPE radio wants: ample margin in the middle of the band where most channels operate, and still above the 10 dB return-loss line where the band runs out. Impedance is 50 Ohm nominal, so the module mates with standard 2.4 GHz front ends without a matching network on the mainboard. Placing the match on the antenna, rather than on the board, is also what allows the same module to be dropped into several CPE models with different PCB layouts.

RG178 Twin Leads and I-PEX Interface for Built-In Integration

The radiator reaches the radio through two orange RG178 coaxial leads, each terminated in an I-PEX (MHF) plug. RG178 was chosen for its combination of 50 Ohm accuracy and small diameter: at 3.3 dB/m at 20 °C its loss is low enough that the feed does not eat the gain the plate provides, and it is flexible enough to be routed around a battery, a speaker or a heat sink. Two leads rather than one let the module feed both sections of the radiator independently, which keeps the current distribution balanced and avoids the pattern skew that a single asymmetric feed would introduce. The plugs are the standard micro-coaxial interface on CPE and gateway boards, so assembly is a push-fit operation with no soldering and no tuning step. Mechanical qualification is specified, not assumed: the assembly passes a 10 N drawing force test, a 1 m drop test, and vibration from 10–55 Hz at 0.35 mm displacement and 50.0 m/s² acceleration over 30 sweep cycles. Voltage resistance is rated at 1.5 kV insulation spark, 1.5 kV sheath spark and 0.5 kV insulation-to-sheath, and the module is RoHS compliant.

Versatile Application Scenarios

The flat-plate format and the short I-PEX pigtail make this module useful anywhere a 2.4 GHz radio needs a real aperture inside a thin enclosure.

CPE and Fixed Wireless Access

Indoor and outdoor CPE units: the plate mounts against the inner wall of the housing and points at the serving cell site or the peer bridge, adding link margin where the built-in PCB antenna is not enough.

Wireless bridges and point-to-point links: the directional pattern concentrates energy along the link axis instead of radiating it into the room, which reduces interference between neighbouring installations on the same channel.

Wi-Fi Coverage and Smart Home Gateways

Routers, access points and gateways: a single module replaces a meander or chip antenna on the mainboard, freeing board area and removing the need for a keep-out region around the radio.

Smart home hubs and cameras: the two-screw mounting and the −20 °C to +70 °C operating range suit enclosures that are installed once and left running for years, including wall-mounted and ceiling-mounted units.

OEM Integration and Aftermarket Replacement

OEM design-in and platform re-use: because the match sits on the antenna and the interface is a standard I-PEX plug, the same module can serve several CPE models and several production batches without re-tuning.

Field replacement and repair: the module is a drop-in part for units whose original antenna has been damaged or whose link margin has degraded, and it requires no calibration equipment on site.

Conclusion: The Future of Built-In 2.4 GHz Antennas

The 2.4–2.5 GHz 11 dBi CPE Panel Antenna, CPE00026, is more than a passive component. It is a mechanical and electrical solution to one of the recurring problems in CPE design: getting gain without getting thickness, and getting a repeatable match without tuning on the line. By putting an 11 ±0.7 dBi radiator on a 1 mm aluminium plate, holding VSWR ≤1.92 across 2.4–2.5 GHz at 50 Ohm, and delivering the signal through twin RG178 leads with I-PEX plugs, it lets builders treat the antenna as a part number rather than a design project. Qualifying it against drawing force, drop, vibration and voltage resistance means the module arrives with its mechanical limits already stated. For any 2.4 GHz platform that needs directional gain inside a thin metal-and-plastic housing, this antenna is the practical choice.