PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The scope of the activity is the development and the market assessment of a flat multi-band antenna system for vehicular terminals. The system will be able to satisfy simultaneously the requirements of several Mobile Satellite Systems (MSS) applications such as:
- Reception of commercial broadcasting transmissions in L, S and Ku Band: Satellite Digital Audio Broadcasting (S-DAB), Satellite Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-S) and Data Casting. The main service providers are WorldSpace, XM Radio, Eutelsat and Astra.
- Accurate positioning and navigation systems. Reception of GPS/Galileo + EGNOS signals (L-band). Main applications: intelligent car navigation systems, road traffic management etc.
- Mobile telecommunication systems. Either regional coverage systems based on GEO satellites (Inmarsat, Thuraya, ACE, &) and global coverage systems (Iridium, S-UMTS) will be addressed.
The antenna will be developed while taking into account the requirements of vehicular mobile applications, namely aerodynamic, mechanical strength, lightweight and small size. Car and boat applications will be the main targeted applications, but train and plane applications will also be considered. In parallel with the technical development, a commercial feasibility study will be performed. This will analyse all the aspects related to the commercialization of the antenna system.
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Challenges
The aim of this activity is the development of a multi-antenna vehicular front-end for different satellite-based mobile communication systems. This new type of front-ends will need to be flat, compact, lightweight and easily integrated onto thin curved surfaces. Therefore, different realization/integration strategies will be analyzed in order to obtain an optimal solution. Another issue will be the development of an active array with electronic beam steering for the reception of Ku-band signals. This activity will require the development of custom Low Noise Amplifiers and phase shifters.
Plan
The activity will be subdivided in four main phases:
- System requirements and specifications.
Preliminary market research and identification of main commercial application. Definition of antennas requirements and technical specifications.
- Breadboards development and test.
Development of single antenna breadboards for L, S and Ku band.
Test/validation of L and S band antennas + Ku band sub-array.
- Multi-band prototype development and test.
Development of multi-antenna prototype for L and S band.
Complete breadboard of Ku-band steerable array.
Test/validation of final prototypes.
- Commercial feasibility
Definition of marketing and financial plan.
Definition of product development plan.
Identification of strategic partnerships for production and commercialisation.
Current Status
The technical and commercial activity of the project is completed.
Field trials with the prototype of WorldSpace, Thuraya and GPS have been successfully performed in different geographical positions. The definition of an industrial version is in progress.
The validation of the Ku-band DVB-S antenna is completed. The definition of the development phase for the realisation of an industrial prototype is in progress.
