Ignion at electronica 2024 with Electronic Specifier

Jaap Groot, Ignion Chief Executive Officer gives Mick Elliott, Contributing Editor at Electronic Specifier, the lowdown on the key innovations of this new antenna, its best in class performance, and versatility across IoT applications.

During electronica 2024, Ignion unveiled its latest innovation, the Omnia chip antenna. This breakthrough product is set to redefine the IoT antenna market, boasting best-in-class performance and versatility.

Jaap Groot, Ignion's Chief Executive Officer, highlighted the key advancements and market implications of Omnia in an interview with Electronic Specifier’s Contributing Editor, Mick Elliott.

Key innovations

The Omnia antenna integrates three radio technologies – cellular, GNSS (GPS), and BLE/Wi-Fi – into a single device. This design simplifies the development of IoT devices that traditionally require multiple antennas.

Groot explains: “The mission for R&D was very simple; design the best RF chip antenna that you can on the market … the second prerequisite was to design a product that supports three radios at the same time … One year later and we have Omnia.”

Groot goes on to explain that it not only delivers unmatched performance but it also reduces the material and space requirements compared to using three separate antennas.

The versatility of Omnia means it can cater to many IoT use cases, from ultra-wideband to BLE, all tuned through our Oxy design platform, which is already supporting 1,000 companies and 3,000 device designs.

Best-in-class performance

Performance is at the core of Omnia’s appeal, as Groot attests that Omnia simply performs better than anything else in the market with superior RF capabilities that address coupling issues, thus ensuring reliable communication even in complex environments.

Moreover, Omnia is designed with sustainability in mind. The single-antenna solution reduces the ecological footprint by minimising material use and optimising space.

Groot tells Mick that by making the product smaller and using fewer scarce materials like ceramics, it contributes to sustainable electronics.

Applications and adoption

Omnia is gaining traction across various industries, including smart metering, tracking, and healthcare. It supports over 2,500 active device designs, with its primary markets including smart metering, automotive telematics, and healthcare wearables.

The product is currently in field trials with select customers and is expected to enter mass production by late 2025. Early adopters include Spanish company Nova Things.

“This morning was incredible,” Groot shares about how the Ignion Omnia has been received at electronica, and further talks about how electronica’s technical audience is seeking new solutions and thus means that Omnia has generated significant interest.

Ignion’s Omnia antenna is positioned to drive efficiency, sustainability, and innovation across IoT applications, offering engineers a simplified, high-performance solution to antenna design challenges.