PHY LayerL2-L3

Antenna & RF Hardware

ANTENNA & RF HARDWARE REFERENCE -- Gain, pattern, NF, cable loss | For EIRP Checker, Link Budget, EVM Budget tools10 rows#

Antenna Type	Gain (dBi)	Pattern	Typical Use Case	Freq Range	Notes / Design Considerations
Isotropic (theoretical reference)	0 dBi	Omnidirectional 3D sphere	Reference only - not a real antenna	All	Definition: 0 dBi = reference. All other gains measured vs this.
Dipole (half-wave)	2.15 dBi	Omnidirectional (donut)	Benchmark, simple AP	2.4/5 GHz	Most basic practical antenna. Unity gain at 2.14 dBi. Often cited as 0 dBd.
Internal PCB antenna (phone/laptop)	0 to 2 dBi	Variable (body-influenced)	Smartphones, laptops, IoT	2.4/5/6 GHz	Highly variable due to PCB proximity, hand holding, orientation. Use -2 to 0 dBi in link budget for worst case.
Indoor omni (enterprise AP internal)	3 to 5 dBi	Near-omnidirectional, slight top/bottom null	Enterprise ceiling AP	2.4/5/6 GHz	Most common AP antenna. Higher gain compresses vertical coverage - trade range for coverage area.
Indoor omni (external, ceiling mount)	5 to 7 dBi	Narrowed vertical beamwidth	Large open office, warehouse	2.4/5 GHz	Higher gain = better horizontal range. Vertical beamwidth ~30-60 degrees.
Sector antenna (120 degree)	8 to 14 dBi	120 degree horizontal sector	Outdoor coverage, stadium, campus	2.4/5 GHz	3 sectors = full 360 coverage. 14dBi = 60 degree beamwidth approx.
Directional patch (single direction)	8 to 12 dBi	Narrow front lobe (~60 deg H x 60 deg V)	Point-to-point short range, CPE	2.4/5/6 GHz	Flat, wall-mountable. Good for bridging or focused coverage.
Yagi (high gain directional)	10 to 18 dBi	Very narrow (<30 degrees)	Outdoor long-range P-to-P	2.4 GHz	Higher gain = narrower beam. Alignment critical. 18dBi = ~12 degree beamwidth.
Parabolic dish	20 to 30 dBi	Extremely narrow (<5 degrees)	Outdoor backhaul, multi-km P-to-P	5 GHz, 60 GHz	Highest gain. Requires precise alignment. Used for building-to-building links.
Phased array (Wi-Fi 6/7 AP)	Variable (beam steered)	Dynamic - electronically steered	Enterprise APs with beamforming	5/6 GHz	4x4 or 8x8 MIMO with per-element phase shifting. Effective gain depends on target direction and channel.

CABLE & CONNECTOR LOSS REFERENCE -- Per 10 metres at specified freq11 rows#

Cable/Connector Type	Loss @ 2.4 GHz	Loss @ 5 GHz	Loss @ 6 GHz	Loss @ 60 GHz	Notes
LMR-100 (thin, flexible)	3.5 dB/10m	5.5 dB/10m	6.5 dB/10m	N/A	Very lossy. Use only for short pigtails (<30cm). Common in IoT devices.
LMR-200 (medium)	2.2 dB/10m	3.4 dB/10m	4.0 dB/10m	N/A	Good for short runs (1-3m). Flexible.
LMR-400 (standard)	1.0 dB/10m	1.5 dB/10m	2.0 dB/10m	N/A	Industry standard for AP-to-antenna runs up to 10m. Stiffer.
LMR-600 (low loss)	0.7 dB/10m	1.1 dB/10m	1.3 dB/10m	N/A	For longer outdoor runs (10-30m). Very stiff.
LMR-900 (ultra low loss)	0.5 dB/10m	0.8 dB/10m	0.9 dB/10m	N/A	For very long runs. Heavy, rigid.
Heliax 1/2 inch	0.4 dB/10m	0.7 dB/10m	0.8 dB/10m	N/A	Used in cellular and Wi-Fi backhaul. Very low loss.
SMA connector (each)	0.15 dB	0.20 dB	0.25 dB	0.5 dB	Each connector pair adds loss. Count all connectors.
N-connector (each)	0.10 dB	0.15 dB	0.18 dB	N/A	Better than SMA for outdoor/high-power. Weatherproof versions available.
RP-SMA connector (each)	0.15 dB	0.20 dB	0.25 dB	N/A	Reverse-polarity SMA used in many consumer APs and antennas.
Internal AP antenna (direct mount)	0.3-0.5 dB	0.5-0.8 dB	0.6-1.0 dB	N/A	PCB trace loss from radio chip to antenna connector. Add to NF.
60 GHz waveguide (per 10m)	N/A	N/A	N/A	~2.0 dB/10m	WR-15 waveguide at 60GHz. Much lower loss than coax at this freq.

NOISE FIGURE REFERENCE -- Typical values for link budget8 rows#

Device Class	NF @ 2.4 GHz	NF @ 5 GHz	NF @ 6 GHz	NF @ 60 GHz	Notes
Enterprise AP (internal antenna)	5-6 dB	6-7 dB	7-8 dB	10-12 dB	Best-in-class RF front-end. Use 6 dB for 5GHz conservative estimate.
Enterprise AP (external antenna)	5-6 dB	5-6 dB	6-7 dB	N/A	Same chip but connector + cable adds 0-1 dB effectively.
Consumer/SOHO AP	7-9 dB	8-10 dB	9-11 dB	N/A	Lower-cost RF front-end. Use 9 dB for 5GHz worst-case.
Smartphone (modern flagship)	7-8 dB	8-9 dB	9-10 dB	N/A	Good RF design. Hand holding adds 2-5 dB of body loss.
Smartphone (mid-range)	9-11 dB	10-12 dB	11-13 dB	N/A	Budget RF components. Use 10 dB for 5GHz estimates.
Laptop (Intel AX210/AX211)	6-7 dB	7-8 dB	8-9 dB	N/A	Wi-Fi 6E capable. Best laptop NF. Metal lid can add 2-4 dB.
IoT / embedded module	8-12 dB	N/A	N/A	N/A	Very wide range. Check datasheet. 802.11ah modules: 10-14 dB typical at 900 MHz.
Low-noise amplifier (external LNA)	0.5-2 dB	0.8-2.5 dB	1-3 dB	N/A	Used in specialized receivers. Not in standard Wi-Fi devices.