Portenta H7 onboard or external antenna best?

Official Hardware Portenta Family Portenta H7
1

The Portenta H7 is available with either an onboard ceramic antenna or with external antenna via a UFL connector. Before I buy one, which version is likely to be better when using in Station mode indoors and which better in AP mode outdoors?

2

If the on-board ceramic antenna was better, why would they offer a version with only a UFL connector ?

The advantage of the UFL is that you can connect a much better antenna if you want or need one. You can even fit a hig gain directional antenna, although check the legality of this for your part of the World.

As a general rule a ceramic chip type antenna will have around half the range\distance of even a very basic external antenna. Of course the external antenna is a lot bigger and not so convenient.

3

Thank you. I think that initially the board had an external antenna (and this is the default version), but subsequently the ceramic onboard antenna was offered as an option.

The Official Arduino Store only offers the version with external antenna and this is supplied with suitable antenna, but nearly all of the major UK suppliers only offer the version with onboard antenna; hence my query

I take your point about the relative merits of onboard vs external antennae; how critical is the orientation of the latter?

4

Depends entirly on the choice of 'external antenna'.

There are external antennas that are 'omni directional' and will give you 360 degrees equal coverage.

And there are 'directional antennas' that may increase distance\range by a factor of 10, but only if they are pointing within a few degrees of the correct direction.

Antennas and their performance is a big, big, subject.

5

Thanks for the advice. I will go for the external antenna.

6

Is there an onboard antenna (for WiFo/BT chip)?

I do not thing so.
You need the antenna at this small SMC connector.

7

Available in the UK from several suppliers eg

Multiple options in one board
Order the default Arduino Portenta H7 (codename H7-15EUNWAD) that comes with:

  • STM32H747 dual-core processor with graphics engine
  • 8MB SDRAM
  • 16MB NOR Flash
  • 10/100 Ethernet Phy
  • USB HS
  • NXP SE050C2 Crypto
  • WiFi/BT Module
    Ceramic Antenna
  • DisplayPort over USB-C

If you need more memory, Portenta H7 can host up to 64 MByte of SDRAM, and 128 MByte of QSPI Flash. Order it with an external UFL connector for adding a higher-gain antenna to the board.

8

Oh, I see (not aware off).
My boards I have ordered - come all with UFL connector and antenna included in packet.

BTW:
I have not found supplier where I can order 64 MByte SDRAM:
Arduino store does not have such options.

9

In Arduino store I just this (8 MB SDRAM, ext. antenna):
Portenta H7 — Arduino Online Shop

Where to get the options?