Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Antenna Calculator
Bluetooth Low Energy radios operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, centered at 2450 MHz. This page opens the antenna designer pre-scoped for a BLE link.
This calculator drives the tool's existing PCB-antenna topology engines — it does not add new antenna physics of its own (docs/v2 CLAUDE.md: "applications and antenna topologies are separate domain concepts"). Opening the tool from this page prefills the 2450 MHz center frequency and, when your selected chip supports it, the top recommended topology below.
Open the Calculator
Run this exact model with your own dimensions, chip, and substrate — free, in your browser.
Open the calculator →What it does
Recommended topology order for BLE, in the tool's own priority sequence: Meandered Inverted-F (MIFA), Inverted-F (IFA), PCB Monopole (λ/4), PCB Dipole (λ/2). Each is an existing, independently-engine-backed PCB antenna style — the tool never fabricates BLE-specific physics; it selects among topologies the shared RF engines already calculate.
How the model works
Opening “Open the calculator” below carries `?application=ble` into the tool, which sets the 2450 MHz frequency and, if your chip's effective supported styles include one, preselects the top-ranked topology above. The tool's default RF interface assumption is 50 Ω, matching its "Standard 50Ω" chip preset — but only where the BLE SoC's own reference design actually exposes a 50 Ω RF port. Many modules present a non-50 Ω on-die or differential match instead; check your module's datasheet before assuming this default applies.
Limitations
The two lead-ranked topologies each carry a reference-anchored feed-impedance estimate, not a measured guarantee for your layout: Feed impedance ≈50 Ω is a reference-anchored starting estimate for the drawn feed-tap position (TI DN0007 class layout, measured < −15 dB at 2.4 GHz), not a guarantee — analytical geometry alone cannot set the tap impedance. Include matching pads; verify and tune the tap on first-article hardware with a VNA. Feed impedance ≈50 Ω is a reference-anchored starting estimate for the drawn feed/short arrangement (Infineon AN91445 Table 5: reference MIFA measured 230 MHz of 10 dB return-loss bandwidth at 2.44 GHz in a 50 Ω system — a weaker anchor than the IFA's −15 dB). Meandering perturbs the tap transform; analytical geometry alone cannot set the tap impedance. Include matching pads; verify and tune on first-article hardware with a VNA. General finite-ground feed behavior: Finite-ground detuning of the feed impedance: not calculated by this analytical model (feed model assumes a counterpoise ≥ λ0/4). See the dedicated IFA and MIFA calculator pages for each style's full disclosure set.
Frequently asked questions
What frequency does this calculator target?
2450 MHz — the center of the 2.4 GHz ISM band Bluetooth Low Energy uses worldwide.
Which antenna style is recommended for BLE?
In priority order: Meandered Inverted-F (MIFA), Inverted-F (IFA), PCB Monopole (λ/4), PCB Dipole (λ/2). The tool auto-selects the first one your chip's supported styles reach.
Does the design assume a 50 Ω antenna port?
The tool's default RF interface assumption is 50 Ω, matching its "Standard 50Ω" chip preset — but only where the BLE SoC's own reference design actually exposes a 50 Ω RF port. Many modules present a non-50 Ω on-die or differential match instead; check your module's datasheet before assuming this default applies.
Is the feed impedance measured for my exact layout?
No. Feed impedance ≈50 Ω is a reference-anchored starting estimate for the drawn feed-tap position (TI DN0007 class layout, measured < −15 dB at 2.4 GHz), not a guarantee — analytical geometry alone cannot set the tap impedance. Include matching pads; verify and tune the tap on first-article hardware with a VNA.
Other antenna calculators
Landed on the wrong application or antenna type? These use the same synthesis engine.