Simulation, Fabrication and Tests of a GPS Antenna on the Roof-Top of an Automobile

摘要

It is very important for the car users to have several communication systems and many antennas, which respond to the demands of aesthetics and efficiency. In this case, it is necessary to consider different types of materials and geometries. Among the automobile systems, the navigation systems are found, which are formed by a Global Position System (GPS), with a pre-charged base of maps and highways in order to locate the vehicle. For the reception of the GPS signals, circularly polarized patch antennas are used, which must be designed to operate at 1.57 GHz. This work is focused on the analysis of a circular antenna performance, designed for GPS, by means of the simulation of the following cases: antenna without radome, antenna with acrylic radome, and, finally, antenna on the roof of an automobile, considering the effect of the complete chassis. A Basic, a Simplified and a More Simplified Advanced Car Models (BCM, SACM, and MSACM) were used in order to analyze the chassis shape. The simulations were carried out with the software FEKO. The fabrication and experimental and practical tests are also presented.