Profile: Hanhaa, Ltd.

ParceLive is a dynamic tracking system that monitors the location, condition and security of parcels shipped worldwide at scale. Dedicated to offering ParceLive as a subscription service, Hanhaa focused on device capabilities to ensure utilization would be high. This includes global connectivity and GPS tracking that can give real-time data from anywhere in the world and a self-return capability which requires little effort from the recipient.

One unique solution they used to enable connectivity worldwide was to run their own GSM stack and mobile network, giving them control over security and coverage other players don’t have. But they struggled with the key piece for reliable connectivity—the antenna. Hanhaa was using a chip antenna, which did not allow tracking data at the granularity necessary for the product to succeed, and they didn’t understand the complex radio frequency requirements to the level they needed.

“The antennas we had before TE made our products bigger, heavier and more expensive,” said Azhar Hussain, CEO of Hanhaa. “TE really helped us reduce weight, which reduced the cost and the size of the board in addition to improving performance.”

As TE helped with the board layout, Hanhaa took the opportunity to understand how to place RF components and maximize the ground plane, a key piece of technology that enables the radios to work. TE’s engineers reviewed Hanhaa’s designs and highlighted issues that could affect the tracker’s performance or battery life, working in tandem with Avnet’s experts to balance both the requirements of the overall device and those of global markets. Together, the team helped Hanhaa overcome its antenna development hurdles and save significant time and money.

“TE helped us refine the designs and tune the performance so that the tracker delivered the level of accuracy we needed,” Hussain said. “Thanks to this close collaboration with Avnet and TE, ParceLive is able to offer capabilities like passive antenna arrays that enable GPS readings from inside a building.”

When TE looked at the components from a holistic view, they realized they needed to view ParceLive more as a mobile phone rather than an IoT device to resolve the design challenges. The device had a small form factor, a big battery and very little space to squeeze in the necessary antennas. Embedded antennas had to be custom-made to be tuned to ParceLive’s specs, and they had to change the position of the board, battery, radios and other components to avoid interference that would affect performance.

Hussain said: “We learned a lot about how RF design is as much an art form as it is a science. From my perspective, the spec sheet can not really capture the nuances of what it takes to enable RF performance.”

Antennas and RF components tend to be the most underestimated parts of a design. Having a partner with antenna and RF expertise helps bring the spec sheet to life. Antennas are different from any other passive component—materials in the PCB, battery and other components can impact the antenna’s performance. For example, far into the design process, the antenna suddenly stopped working. It turns out, the NFC label that had been placed on the back of the housing interfered with the antenna—an easy fix, but this shows how sensitive the antenna can be. The plastic encasement around the device had to meet certain fire regulations for shipping. That also affected RF performance and the materials had to be tested and the antenna tuned appropriately.

Hanhaa learned how important it is to design the device around the antennas, learnings which are already benefitting their second-generation designs. They are able to track packages with 100% connectivity through the Mongolian desert and other areas presenting connectivity challenges.