Navigation Antennas for Automotive Applications

Reliable, high-precision geo-positioning is an essential precondition for automated driving, as insufficiently accurate data can be a serious threat to road safety. Against this background, sensors for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), in conjunction with specially-designed automotive antennas, are a key technology for self-driving vehicles.

Conventional embedded antennas usually fail to deliver the accuracy and reliability required for geo-positioning. They generally only support one GPS band, and do not eliminate or reduce the negative effect of metal car roofs on their radiation pattern. Furthermore, GNSS signal reception can be negatively affected by cell phone network interference or by intentional jamming.

Our concepts for automotive navigation antennas are characterized by the following features:

• High precision in the sub-meter range with a compact multiband antenna (all GNSS frequencies in the L-band) – worldwide, and without the need for correction data
• Improved multipath suppression by means of special, low-profile antenna structures – optionally as an extension to existing narrow-band systems
• Adaptive interference cancellation via null-steering and beamforming algorithms via a GNSS antenna array that can be integrated into the car roof

We tailor our automotive antenna solutions to customer-specific usage scenarios, and ensure seamless transition to volume production. Moreover, we use professional reference systems and specialized emulation and measurement equipment to verify implemented solutions.