Maximizing throughput with ultra-compact diversity antennas

Portable wireless devices currently use antenna diversity designs that waste much of the physical and electromagnetic space allotted to their antenna elements. With case studies of an integrated IEEE 802.11b laptop radio, we demonstrate how unconventional, ultra-compact antenna diversity maintains data throughput in wireless devices that are notoriously ill-suited for space diversity. We overcome much of the measurement and computational difficulties of evaluating diversity designs by using a 3-step evaluation procedure: (1) in-situ antenna range measurement (measuring the antennas mounted onto the device housing); (2) multipath modeling; (3) throughput mapping.