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How many antennas does a self-driving car need? Are 18 enough?

Latest update time:2017-06-12
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Some of Taoglas' products

How many antennas are needed to enable a car to have safe and reliable autonomous driving capabilities?

This is no joke. Taoglas, an Irish antenna technology supplier, believes that the next generation of connected cars will need at least 18 antennas when connected to 5G networks. Founded in 2007, Taoglas is a leader in antenna technology for industrial applications. Currently, half of the company's business comes from the transportation sector, and its products are mainly used in vehicles such as trucks, buses and cars.

Even without 5G networks, automakers are designing connected cars with antennas for multiple different network connections, including cellular networks, Wi-Fi, GPS for navigation, emergency call systems, satellite radio and AM/FM, parking sensors, Bluetooth, DSRC, and V2V/V2X applications.

Not long ago, Taoglas launched a reference design called Axiom, which is a compact multi-antenna (9-antenna) solution.

Axiom 9-in-1 Multi-Antenna Reference Design

The more antennas the better

How have OEMs’ demands for network connectivity technology changed in recent years?

Taoglas CEO Dermot O'Shea gave a succinct answer: The number of antennas required by manufacturers has increased exponentially. Car manufacturers are adding more features, but they are reluctant to cut some traditional functions.

For example, almost no one uses the AM/FM function in the car now because everyone has turned to Internet radio or satellite radio, but this function will still remain in the vehicle configuration list.

Although the increased demand for antennas is a good thing, it also brings huge challenges to suppliers, because their solutions must remain slim, while the installation difficulty of antenna modules must continue to decrease and the price must be affordable enough. Most importantly, the antenna array "must be strong enough" in terms of performance.

Luca De Ambroggi, principal analyst for automotive electronics at market research firm IHS Markit, agrees. “Five years ago, the role of ‘connectivity’ in vehicles suddenly changed, as more and more embedded solutions and technologies were needed,” he explains. “The phone is no longer the hub of vehicle connectivity, the car itself has become a walking signal tower.”

De Ambroggi pointed out that these network connectivity solutions will be installed in more and more vehicles. "They will not only be standard in high-end models, but will also gradually enter the mid-range and low-end models."

De Ambroggi believes that this popularization process is driven by a variety of factors, including lower component costs and higher chip integration. At the same time, automakers are undergoing functional upgrades, from simple infotainment functions (such as hotspots and mobile phone Bluetooth pairing) to more complex systems (such as vehicle OTA upgrades and online diagnostics). In addition, in the near future, the application of technologies such as V2V and V2X and the need for AI to collect data will also promote the popularity of such products.

O'Shea believes that automotive OEMs and Tier 1 component suppliers did not have a rich accumulation in the field of network connectivity technology in the past, and now the advent of smart driving is forcing them to "catch up."

What is the difference between the antennas used in cars and smartphones?

Since a multi-antenna system can be integrated into a device as small as a smartphone, why would it be difficult to put it into a car as large as that?

O'Shea pointed out that the safety standards for car antennas are higher, and they need to withstand long-term tests of temperature and vibration, while the safety standards for smartphones are much lower. After all, no one's phone will be exposed to the sun or parked in the snow for a long time.

Secondly, today's cars are no longer simple metal cars, which means that the antenna can be retracted from the "shark fin" on the roof in the early years into the car. Therefore, antenna suppliers cannot just provide a one-size-fits-all solution. They need to adjust the antenna module according to the curvature of the roof. In addition, some manufacturers also install the antenna module in the exterior rearview mirror, trunk, bumper and even dashboard, which increases the development difficulty for antenna suppliers.

"The era of autonomous driving places even higher demands on the performance and reliability of vehicle antennas. After all, once the connection is lost, the safety functions of the vehicle may be affected," De Ambroggi added. In addition to the above issues, "issues such as temperature, harsh environment and electromagnetic compatibility also need to be addressed."

“If we put the antennas on the roof of a vehicle, they would have to withstand temperatures of 105°C,” said De Ambroggi. “In addition, vibrations and electromagnetic interference are also the biggest enemies of the antenna. On top of that, the vehicle will be in constant motion, and once the speed increases, the antenna’s ability to receive or send signals will decrease.”

“How to make efficient antennas at a competitive enough cost and cram them into a compact space is the top priority for automakers’ RF teams,” O’Shea concluded.

This is why Axiom was born, so that manufacturers can use it as a reference design and design corresponding multi-antenna arrays according to their needs. Such a solution has a big advantage, which is that it can help manufacturers save months of testing time.

Smart antenna?

De Ambroggi pointed out that Taoglas' technology is more inclined towards "fixed, passive" antennas, while the market needs a new type of "smart antenna", that is, a chip that integrates different types of antennas and can be called when needed.

O'Shea said: "Taoglas antennas have various uses, which can be passive or active. What kind of antenna we provide depends on the project requirements of the car manufacturer and the depth of our cooperation."

O'Shea said: "In the automotive OEM field, Taoglas will not participate in the manufacturing process of electronic components like Laird and Peiker do. We only help manufacturers integrate antennas into cars or electronic components. Of course, we also cooperate with Laird and Peiker on such projects."

One thing to note is that whether the antenna is smart or not, its performance is only as good as the product quality. To improve the quality of the antenna, Taoglas has developed a unique electro-ceramic material. The antenna made of this new material can withstand severe temperature and fatigue tests, and it has stable and efficient performance in the frequency band from 77 MHz to 3.7 GHz.

"We can't beat the limits of physics, but Taoglas' new material can reduce some interference," O'Shea explained. Currently, Taoglas manufactures its own antennas in its Taiwan factory.

5G Network

Many industry insiders see 5G as the ultimate factor in comprehensively improving the safety performance of autonomous driving.

"They want to apply 5G technology to self-driving cars as soon as possible and test its performance. Automakers are very eager and everyone is concerned about the reliability of 5G connections," O'Shea said.

However, the 5G standard is not yet settled, so Taoglas' reference design does not reserve space for 5G antennas.

"All we know about 5G right now is the spectrum bands that the U.S. carriers will use: Verizon will use 28 GHz, and AT&T will use 39 GHz," O'Shea said.

O'Shea said that if the 5G network is successfully launched, Taoglas will use a MIMO system (equipped with an antenna array). However, they are not sure how many antennas are needed to meet the requirements of the 5G network. In addition, there is no solution for the time being for how vehicles with 5G communication capabilities will communicate with base stations, traffic lights and other equipment while driving.

“We have to do testing for at least another 2-3 years,” O’Shea added.

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