Automotive Antennas

Radio-based vehicle networking is becoming more and more important in vehicle development. Whether it be the classic radio application of vehicular broadcasting systems, positioning, and vehicle navigation using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), data transmission via the Internet or vehicle-to-vehicle communication: radio systems are found in many areas of the vehicle. Requirements on the reliability of the individual systems as well as their volume/installation space and performance capability mean that particularly efficient antennas are required. To implement the growing requirements in antenna development, it is advantageous to have a design process that is as flexible as possible.

Modern antenna systems for automotive industry not only have to function as antenna but also take into account other important factors such as design specifications, costs and environmental requirements. For example, modern antenna systems should be as unobtrusive as possible, allowing them to be integrated into a vehicle straightforwardly and without impairing performance or leading to high costs. Frequently, this leads to high integration level, with the consequences for antennas of coupling between the individual emitters and distortion of the radiation characteristics. As a rule, this leads to degraded performance of the complete system. Using MID technology with its volumetric design approach offers a maximum degree of flexibility in alleviating the integration effects described helping to develop antennas for the different automotive RF-systems.