Mouser: New Tech Tuesdays – Multi-Port IoT Antennas Simplify Rugged Connected Designs
July 10, 2026
Multi-Port IoT Antennas: How Improved RF Integration Enhances Performance & Simplifies the Entire Product Design Conversation
By: Mouser Technical Content Staff
Connected edge devices increasingly need to do two jobs at once: maintain reliable wide-area communications and provide accurate location awareness. That combination shows up across smart terminals, kiosks, charging systems, mobile platforms, and remote monitoring equipment. In these designs, engineers must support modern cellular Internet of Things (IoT) protocols while also enabling Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based tracking in a compact, durable package.
This week for Mouser’s New Tech Tuesdays they look at why multi-port IoT antennas matter in modern connected designs, how ground-plane independence can simplify radio frequency (RF) and mechanical integration, and why environmental sealing is now a practical requirement for many indoor and outdoor deployments. The article also explores how combining cellular and GNSS coverage in one compact antenna can help engineers reduce complexity without compromising flexibility.
Cellular Connectivity & GNSS in One Compact Node
Connected systems need dependable cellular backhaul and location tracking simultaneously. Engineers increasingly design products around CAT-M, CAT-1 through CAT-4, and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) while also supporting GNSS for positioning and asset awareness. Consolidating those functions into a single antenna class simplifies system architecture, reduces the number of antenna elements that must be mounted and sealed, and makes compact product designs easier to implement.
This matters because each additional antenna, cable, or enclosure penetration increases mechanical complexity and creates more opportunities for integration issues. A compact multi-port approach can help reduce those trade-offs by supporting both communications and location services in one external form factor.
Ground-Plane Independence Reduces Installation Headaches
Antenna placement is rarely just an RF decision. In real products, developers and engineers must balance enclosure materials, mounting surfaces, ingress protection (IP) goals, industrial design constraints, and the need for a single design to function across multiple installation environments. Traditional antenna configurations can become sensitive to the mounting surface because their performance depends on the host structure as part of the RF system.
That is why ground-plane-independent antennas are such a practical option for IoT systems. Antennas designed to operate on both metallic and non-metallic surfaces can maintain more consistent performance across a wider range of installations. This gives engineers more flexibility to reuse a common hardware platform without redesigning the antenna system for each enclosure variant. IoT systems now operate in environments far less forgiving than those of benchtop prototypes, making survivability just as critical as RF performance.
A ruggedized, low-profile antenna design can reduce the number of vulnerable external components and make the unit less prone to tampering or mechanical damage. For engineers working on systems that must remain connected through weather, grime, or aggressive cleaning cycles, achieving a high IP rating is increasingly a fundamental requirement rather than an optional feature.
The Newest Products for Your Newest Designs
TE Connectivity’s VersAnte L000321-03 is a two-port external puck antenna that combines 4G/5G cellular and GNSS coverage in one compact package. The antenna is designed as part of a ground-plane-independent family, allowing operation on both metallic and non-metallic surfaces and helping simplify mounting across diverse enclosure types and installation conditions.
The antenna supports cellular operation across 698 MHz to 960 MHz, 1690 MHz to 2690 MHz, and 3300 MHz to 3800 MHz, as well as GNSS coverage from 1559 MHz to 1606 MHz. It also supports leading cellular IoT networks, including CAT-M, CAT-1 to CAT-4, and NB-IoT, making it a flexible option for connected systems that need both communication and location awareness in a single antenna solution.
These characteristics make the VersAnte antenna a practical fit for applications such as electric vehicle (EV) charging, smart lockers, digital signage, ticketing systems, smart terminals, mobile and vehicular platforms, and data monitoring systems. By combining cellular and GNSS coverage in a rugged, compact form factor, the antenna can help simplify system architecture and improve deployment flexibility in demanding environments.
Tuesday’s Takeaway
The value of multi-port IoT antennas lies in combining radio functions while addressing a practical design problem: delivering wide-area connectivity, location awareness, and environmental resilience without adding unnecessary RF, mechanical, or enclosure complexity.
When an antenna is compact, ground-plane independent, and rugged enough for indoor and outdoor use, it gives developers greater flexibility to design connected products that are easier to package, deploy, and maintain in real-world installation environments. For modern IoT endpoints, improved RF integration enhances performance and simplifies the entire product design conversation.
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