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RF, antenna, hardware and test engineering

Engineering Mission-Critical RF & Navigation Systems

RF systems, antenna integration, hardware development, and verification support for aerospace, defense, and autonomous platforms.

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In developmentAdvancing GNSS technologies in challenging environments.

CAD render of a sounding rocket designed by Zenith, with a wrap-around antenna section behind the nose cone

Commercial engineering capabilities

Engineering Services

Engineering support for teams building RF, navigation and electromechanical hardware, from first concept through test evidence. Applications listed are typical examples, not past projects.

  1. RF & Antenna Engineering

    Integrate RF hardware and antennas into your platform with a clear path to test.

    Illustration of a Yagi antenna mounted on a pole at night: a boom with a row of directors, a folded dipole and the coaxial cable that feeds it

    How RF hardware performs on a platform depends on placement, packaging and interconnects as much as on the parts chosen. Zenith supports RF system integration, antenna packaging and the test setups used to characterize the result.

    Example deliverables

    • RF integration support: block diagrams and interconnect definition
    • Antenna packaging and mounting concepts
    • RF test setup definition
    • Characterization support and measurement summaries

    Typical applications

    • GNSS and datalink antennas on UAVs
    • RF payloads in aerospace enclosures
    • Antenna installations on vessels and ground vehicles
    Request Engineering Support

  2. Mechanical & Electromechanical Design

    Enclosures and packaging designed in CAD to fit, assemble and be documented.

    Engineering drawing of the ground plane base: a 9.00 in diameter aluminum 6061-T6 plate, 0.50 in thick, with five 0.50 in through holes on a bolt circle and a 1/4-20 threaded center hole

    Electronics need housings that account for mounting, connectors and the operating environment. Zenith produces CAD models, enclosure and packaging designs, and the documentation needed to prototype them.

    Example deliverables

    • 2D and 3D CAD models and assemblies
    • Electronic enclosure designs
    • Hardware packaging layouts
    • Design documentation: drawings and bills of materials
    • Reverse-engineering
    • Test Equipment

    Typical applications

    • Avionics and payload housings
    • Drone module enclosures
    • Rack-mounted equipment
    Request Engineering Support

  3. Hardware Integration & Prototyping

    Turn designs and components into working, documented prototypes.

    • GPS antennaReceives satellite signals
    CAD render of a quadcopter with an integrated electronics module and a mast-mounted navigation antenna
    • Remote ID moduleBroadcasts ID and position

    Integration is where mechanical, electrical and RF elements first have to work as one assembly. Zenith supports component integration, fixtures and prototype assembly, with technical documentation for each step.

    Example deliverables

    • Component and subsystem integration
    • Assembly and test fixtures
    • Prototype assembly and bring-up support
    • Technical documentation: assembly notes and configuration records

    Typical applications

    • Proof-of-concept and engineering prototypes
    • Fixtures for lab evaluation
    • Sensor and electronics integration on autonomous platforms
    Request Engineering Support

  4. Engineering Test Support: ATP, Qualification, Field Tests

    Plan and run the tests that show whether hardware meets its requirements.

    CAD render of the bench instrument installed at the top of Zenith's instrumentation test rack
    • Test portOne of four RF ports

    Testing works best when it is planned against requirements before results are needed. Zenith supports test planning, bench setup, measurements and performance evaluation, and documents the results in a report your team can use.

    Example deliverables

    • Test plans traced to requirements
    • Bench test setups
    • Measurement data sets
    • Performance evaluation reports

    Typical applications

    • RF and antenna bench testing
    • Prototype design verification
    • Evaluation of navigation hardware
    Request Engineering Support

Aerospace, defense, maritime, autonomy

Where the engineering applies

Zenith works on hardware for platforms where RF performance, navigation and reliable integration matter. These are the markets we serve, not a list of clients.

  • Illustration of a satellite constellation above Earth

    Aerospace & Defense

    Hardware that must be integrated, documented and verified against demanding requirements.

    • Avionics and payload packaging
    • RF and antenna integration
    • Test planning and verification
  • Delivery drone carrying a parcel over a coastal city at dusk, guided by satellite positioning, with a package-tracking panel and route markers

    UAV & Autonomy

    Platforms with tight size, weight and power limits that rely on RF links and navigation.

    • Module enclosures
    • Antenna placement
    • Integration and bench testing
  • Illustration of a container terminal at night: ship-to-shore cranes load a container ship while trucks move along the quay

    Maritime & Navigation

    Vessels and near-shore operations where satellite navigation can be degraded.

    • Navigation hardware integration
    • Antenna installations
    • GNSS resilience research
  • Illustration of autonomous trucks, cars and delivery robots using satellite positioning

    Robotics & Transportation

    Ground platforms that combine sensors, electronics, RF and positioning hardware.

    • Sensor and electronics integration
    • Enclosures and fixtures
    • Verification support

CAD case studies

Selected engineering work

Design and integration work shown as CAD renders. Client names, results and further detail are shared only with approval and under appropriate confidentiality.

  • Wrap-around antennaCopper patches on the body
  • Nose cone
Transparent CAD render of the full sounding rocket showing its internal layout from nose cone to fins
  • Fins
  • Avionics bay
CAD renderInternal layout

Sounding rocket airframe and antenna section

Mechanical design of a sounding-rocket airframe assembly, including a stacked avionics bay and a wrap-around antenna section with conformal copper patch elements integrated between bulkheads.

Disciplines

  • Mechanical design
  • RF & antenna integration
  • Avionics packaging

Shown in the renders

  • Internal layout of the full vehicle
  • Avionics bay and bulkhead layout
  • Wrap-around antenna sleeve

Background, expertise and process

Engineering built around the hardware

Zenith Microtechnologies provides RF, mechanical, integration and test engineering services.

We work at the point where RF, mechanical and electronic design meet, which is where integration problems usually appear. Engagements are scoped around clear requirements, documented design decisions and test evidence your team can rely on.

Engineering disciplines

  • RF & antenna engineering
  • Mechanical & electromechanical design
  • Hardware integration & prototyping
  • Verification & validation
  • GNSS and navigation

How we work

  1. Discover

    Understand the problem, constraints and schedule.

  2. Define

    Agree on technical requirements and acceptance criteria.

  3. Design

    Develop RF, mechanical and integration designs for review.

  4. Prototype

    Build and integrate prototype hardware.

  5. Test

    Verify performance against requirements and record the results.

  6. Deliver

    Hand over hardware, data and documentation.

Qualified engineering project inquiries

Let's discuss your engineering challenge

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