Antenna Keep-Out Zone for ESP32

0:27

Yes. For a carrier PCB that accepts the ESP32-PICO-KIT-1 on female headers, define the antenna region so the antenna end of the module has a 5 mm unsupported overhang past the carrier board edge. The placement guidance explicitly says PCB-antenna Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth modules should use edgePlacementHints with the antenna extending beyond the board edge, and shows 5 mm as the common ESP32-family value

Recommended keep-out definition

Use this on the main PCB:

Table

Parameter	Recommendation
Antenna overhang past board edge	5 mm
Copper under antenna region	None
Traces under antenna region	None
Vias under antenna region	None
Ground pour under antenna region	None
Keep-out width	At least the full width of the antenna portion of the module, preferably with a little side margin

How to think about the geometry

If the module is plugged in horizontally over your motherboard:

Put the antenna end at the edge of the main PCB
Let the antenna section of the module extend 5 mm beyond that edge
On the motherboard, keep the area directly under and immediately behind that antenna section clear of copper and routing

Practical footprint rule

When you place the two female headers on the main PCB, position them so that:

the module body is supported by the headers
the antenna section is not over solid carrier PCB
the carrier board edge falls about 5 mm before the tip of the antenna area

That aligns with the documented antenna-overhang guidance for PCB-antenna modules

Simple implementation rule

On the carrier PCB, create an antenna keep-out rectangle:

Depth: 5 mm from the carrier board edge inward reference to the antenna zone
Width: at least the antenna section width
Layers: top copper, bottom copper, and all internal copper
Also exclude: traces, vias, fills, and metal features in that area

If you want, I can help you translate that into an exact carrier-board footprint rule once you tell me:

which edge the antenna faces, and
the distance from the module header pins to the start of the antenna section.

Set top-edge keepout

Size keepout from pins

Add exact dimensions

3 days

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