Design of Axial Mode Helix Antenna for Performance Improvement in LoRa 915 MHz Point to Point Communication

Abstrak

Communication with Long Range (LoRa) theoretically reaches a distance of 5 km in urban areas and up to 15 km in open areas. In reality, communication between transceiver devices often does not get the expected range, where one of the factors that influences it is the antenna. Antennas are a crucial component of a transceiver device, which functions to channel radio signals into the air. This study aims to design an axial mode helix antenna which is a directional antenna. The simulation results with CST software for the 915 MHz helix antenna obtained an S11 value of -46.9 dB, VSWR 1.01, and a gain of 4.67 dBi. The measurement results with the Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) obtained values ​​that still meet the design specification standards, namely S11 -15.3 dBi, and VSWR 1.38. The optimal value at a frequency of 925 MHz is due to the level of precision of the fabrication carried out manually. Testing the helix antenna with Line of Sight (LOS) and Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) conditions obtained better RSSI values ​​compared to non-helix antennas.

Kata kunci

• Helix
• LoRa
• RSSI