Anyone who has ever had problems in producing a functioning WLAN under complicated spatial conditions knows what is being talked about. One tries and tries, exchanges hardware and is close to despair. But the solution is actually quite simple. To use the modified words of former US President Bill Clinton: "It's the antenna, stupid. (Eng: "It's the antenna, stupid.")
Over 1,000 realized development projects
Such words would never cross the lips of Dr. Michael Weber, the managing director of ATBB - Antennentechnik Bad Blankenburg GmbH, but often describe reality. The Weimar-based company is a manufacturer and developer of high-performance antenna systems and modern communication solutions, active throughout Europe, with further locations in Sweden and Dubai. The company can look back on over 1,000 completed development projects. A wealth of experience and expertise, therefore, which stands behind Weber's credo: "Today, no company can afford to cut back on the antenna. At first glance, such a sentence may not seem obvious to the layman. But when you think about the future, it becomes clear what the antenna expert means. Internet of Things, Smart Metering, DAB+ and 5G are just a few of the current and now omnipresent terms for digital change.
Antenna central for reliable communication
Michael Weber puts it like this: "Connectivity - i.e. the connection of different components involved in a data transmission - does not work nowadays without powerful antennas. In the future with 5G, even less so. Because in industry, the number of processes in which communication and data exchange between machines and components in real time using 5G is essential is growing rapidly. "This is critical communication," says Weber, "you can't afford instability in this area. Often, the very construction of buildings hinders the establishment and functioning of stable networks. In such cases, the antenna is the linchpin and is crucial for permanently reliable communication.
Integrated switch cabinet antenna for the energy industry
This brings Weber up to date on a current in-house development, the integrated switch cabinet antenna. It was developed in cooperation with energy suppliers and the leading German manufacturer of control cabinets. Smart metering is the keyword here, i.e. the computer-supported measurement, determination and control of energy consumption and supply. The smart meter must therefore somehow reliably transmit its data. But not every meter has a cell phone tower next to it. The requirements could hardly be more demanding, knows also ATBB sales manager Florian Rast. For him, there is no "Silver Bullet" - in other words, the solution that meets all practical requirements virtually off the peg. That's why ATBB has developed installation examples for the installation of antennas and connection to the smart meter together with customers and network operators and also supplies the appropriate accessories.
Investment in smart minds and measurement technology
"The value is not the purchase price of an antenna," says Rast. "The value is in what has been achieved until it works and how long it works". "Antenna technology is the most difficult discipline in electrical engineering," explains Dr. Michael Weber. "To be successful here, you need a lot of investment, especially in clever minds and high-quality measurement technology". This is what ATBB in Weimar has in store. It is paired with a lot of know-how. "In antenna technology, not all cables are the same, and not all connectors are the same. Both the materials used and the expert handling of the high-tech components lay the foundation for the success or failure of a solution. After all, in the end the performance reserves are decisive," says the ATBB boss. This awareness is gaining ground due to increasing digitalization in the professional but also more and more in the private everyday life. This is why more and more system manufacturers are using and appreciating the competence and cooperation of ATBB's experts to design modern and networked solutions with the specially designed antennas.
Applications that nobody thinks of today
Today, the company is confident that it already has 80 percent of the solution in its construction kit for every new project. "We call that 20-to-go," explains Sales Manager Florian Rast. "We develop the remaining 20 percent tailor-made together with our customers, and we do so very quickly. In addition to uncompromising quality, speed is essential for the economic success of our customers. The success from these projects is the reason for the long-standing partnership we have with these manufacturers and system providers". You don't have to be a prophet to realize that antenna technology is the key to the networked digital future. The developers at ATBB know that too. That is why they are involved in various research projects, for example with the Technical University of Ilmenau and the German Aerospace Center DLR. Michael Weber sums it up in one sentence: "We will experience applications that nobody thinks of today". ATBB has the right antennas for this.
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