Harman has developed and is currently testing 5G-ready multiband conformal antennas for automotive applications. They combine multiple antennas in one module that can be mounted below a vehicle’s body panels.
According to Harman, enabling V2X in CAVs, in addition to the LTE, GNSS, wi-fi, electronic toll collection and other forms of connectivity required in modern cars, could require up to 18 antennas.
To avoid future CAVs starting to look like porcupines, Harman’s multiband conformal antennas mount into an aperture in a vehicle’s body panel typically the roof area or rear deck and are covered by a waterproof, non-conductive radome. It provides gain, directionality and the required performance and isolation for a large number of radio systems to operate together.
Vishnu Sundaram, vice president of the telematics business unit at Harman, commented, “Leveraging our close connection with Samsung and several OEM partners, the Harman team has designed a solution that is compact, aesthetically pleasing and future-proof.”
“In the past six months the idea of a conformal antenna has gained a serious share of interest from our Automotive OEM customers because it satisfies the needs of telematics engineers while providing a fresh easel for automotive body designers,” said Sundaram.
“We’re currently evaluating the antennas with several premium auto makers to validate the design for each specific vehicle and expect to see the conformal antennas available for model year 2021 vehicles.”
By Illya Verpraet