Exploring the Influence of Keep Out Zones on Antenna Performance in Layout

 Keep Out Area

The "keep out area" in a module, particularly when it comes to electronics and antennas, serves several critical purposes:

1. Electromagnetic Isolation: One of the primary functions of the keep out area is to maintain electromagnetic isolation. It ensures that other components, conductive traces, or structures are not placed too close to the antenna. This is vital to prevent interference and maintain the antenna’s radiation pattern and performance.
   
   
2. Preventing Mutual Interference: Electronic components, especially those generating electromagnetic radiation, can interfere with the antenna’s operation if placed too closely. The keep out area enforces a minimum distance to prevent such interference and maintain the antenna’s signal quality.
   
   
3. Optimizing Radiation pattern: Antennas have specific radiation patterns that dictate how they transmit and received signals. The keep out area helps ensure that the antenna’s radiation pattern remains unobstructed. Placing components within this area can alter the pattern and reduce antenna efficiency.
   
   
4. Safety and Compliance: Compliance with safety and regulatory standards is crucial in electronic devices. The keep out area may be mandated by these standards to minimize the risk of electromagnetic exposure for users and to ensure the device operates within allowable limits.
   
   
5. Thermal Considerations: Some components generate heat during operation. The keep out area can also account for thermal considerations, ensuring that heat-producing components do not adversely affect the antenna's performance due to temperature-induced changes in materials or interference.
   
   
6. Mechanical Clearance: Besides electromagnetic concerns, the keep out area can also provide mechanical clearance, ensuring that the antenna is not physically obstructed by other components or structures.

In summary, the keep out area in a module is a critical design aspect that aims to maintain the integrity, performance, and safety of the antenna system within an electronic device by managing electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical, and regulatory considerations.


Use following module as our example, you are recommend referring to our specification link on page 12-13 for RF layout suggestions (Keep out area.)

MDBT50Q-1MV2 (<-Click me for Product details)

Specification：                                                                              
[nRF52840] MDBT50Q-1MV2 & MDBT50Q-P1MV2 Spec (Ver.L) (<-Click me for Specification details)

Design Guide includes:
MDBT50Q & MDBT50Q-P & MDBT50Q-U Footprint_Design Guide (230606) (<-Click me and find the corresponding doc name for download.)

• Footprint (compatible for Protel, Eagle, Altium Design)
• 2D/3D drawing
• Reflow/Solder Profile
• Spec for external 32.768KHz

Instruction to find out selected module’s specific/design guide etc:

Following below steps after link to Raytac Corporation official webpage, click on yellow highlighted texts to find and download selected module’s specific/design guide etc … accordingly.

1.  Raytac Corporation official website

2.

3.

Edited by Sales Manager: Ms. Mandy Chao
Raytac Corporation 勁達國際電子有限公司
A BT5.2 & BT5.1 & BT5 module maker based on Nordic nRF53 & nRF52 solution
(nRF5340 & nRF52840 & nRF52833 & nRF52832 & nRF52820 & nRF52811 & nRF52810 & nRF52805)
http://www.raytac.com email: service@raytac.com Tel: +886.2.3234.0208

Module Design Resource: 2D/3D/Footprint/Reflow/KeepOut Area Design Guide

 With Internet of Things (IoT) technology being the talk of the town for years, Bluetooth obviously has become the most important solutions for short and middle range device connection. 

     Raytac Corporation, a specialized module maker, adapted Nordic solution among various solution providers, developed a rage of modules with different form factors, antenna options and feature capabilities to optimize and simplify the design and development experience. By this comprehensive product line provided, project feasibility would never be the challenge for all developers.

    The pertinent support need out of projects Raytac has been experienced is the accessibility of module design reference, in term of 2D (autocad), 3D (Step / ProE), footprint, reflow, and keep out area suggestion information. To provide a convenient and free to use resource library for developers is seriously been considered. Therefore, Raytac has created a support page in the website, loaded in all the essential design guide information based on all modules. Thus, developers all over the world can just simply click the website and  obtain the immediate design information without taking time in back and forth mail communications. This does significantly save the developing schedule up to 2~3 days at least.

Raytac keep improving to make things easier. Any idea you expect from Raytac, feel free to let us know~

Raytac Website Support Page (Click me)

Raytac Corporation 勁達國際電子有限公司

A BT5.2 & BT5.1 & BT5 module maker based on Nordic nRF52 & nRF51 solution 
(nRF5340 & nRF52840 & nRF52833 & nRF52832 & nRF52820 & nRF52811 & nRF52810 & nRF52805 & nRF51822)

www.raytac.com

email: cs@raytac.com