Aerospace and defense applications have some of the most demanding wireless device requirements — and not only in terms of providing mission-critical reliability and performance. Modules and antennas must be able to accommodate unusual form factors that cannot be altered just to make device design easier.
One example is wearables that monitor soldiers’ vital signs, track their location, and provide tactical and navigation information visually, audibly, or with haptics so both hands remain free. In some use cases, soldiers have multiple wearables — such as one on the wrist, another in the ear, and a third on the belt — that are all linked together in a personal area network (PAN).
Unlike larger devices such as tablets, an off-the-shelf antenna rarely is a viable option for defense wearables. For example, stock GNSS, cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth antennas are metal stamped or flexible adhesive, which aren’t available in shapes that easily fit the curvature of wristwatch-style form factors.
Custom antennas provide a better fit, especially when they’re created with Laser Direct Structuring (LDS). This process uses polymer resins to create an antenna in a 3-dimensional plastic carrier. The laser enables the metallic antenna traces to adhere to the polymer, which can be part of the wearable’s housing or a separate piece of plastic. (For more information about LDS, see “Leverage Innovative New GNSS Antenna Manufacturing Technologies to Ensure High Performance Even with Complex Form Factors.”)
One key bottom-line benefit of LDS is that it eliminates the need to redesign the wearable to accommodate an off-the-shelf antenna. This reduces time to market, time to revenue, and additional design expenses that would have to be reflected in the device’s price, profit margin, or both. All of this is key because defense customers frequently have strict schedules and budgets.
As with off-the-shelf models, a critical step in LDS antenna integration is testing. Taoglas’ CSA.50 custom GNSS test service is designed for use cases whose unique, demanding requirements can’t be met by off-the-shelf antennas. This service includes simulating a design, building prototypes of it and testing them first in an anechoic chamber and then at the system level.
UAV and AGV Applications
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) are widely used for defense and civilian applications. LDS is one option for designing antennas that meet demanding space and shape requirements. Here are several additional Taoglas options for meeting other types of requirements:
- Invisible Antennas use carbon nanotubes to enable concealed antenna placement and provide access to previously unavailable physical spaces.
- Terrablast technology is ideal for the kind of vibration, impact, and extreme temperatures that AGVs and UAVs are subjected to. It combines ultra-impact resistance with up to 40% weight savings compared to traditional ceramics, ensuring reliable performance without adding unnecessary mass. One Terrablast model is the ADFGP.60A, an active high-precision patch antenna that covers a wide variety of BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS, and QZSS signals, as well as the L-Band.
- The Inception Series HP5354.A is a multi-band GNSS L1/L5 patch antenna that’s just 4 mm high, making it ideal for wearable, UAV, and AGV applications where typical stacked patch designs are too tall.
- The AFXP.125 embedded active flexible antenna covers GNSS L1/L5. It’s a linear polarized antenna, but its omnidirectional radiation pattern makes it less sensitive to device orientation. This enables it to be installed in locations on an AGV or UAV where a patch antenna won’t work.
- The EAHP.125 is an embedded multi-band active GNSS Quadrifilar Helix antenna that covers the full GNSS L1/L2/L5 spectrum, as well as the L-Band. At just 31.5 mm in height and 60 mm in diameter, this ultra-light antenna is ideal for UAVs and other applications that can’t accommodate a large ceramic antenna.
- The MPA.257.A is a stamped metal antenna for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in the 2.4, 5.8, and 7.125 GHz bands. Its 24.5 x 4.9 x 5.9 mm form factor and small keep-out area enable it to be used where other antennas can’t due to their larger size and ground plane requirements.
For more information about Taoglas antennas, cables, and engineering services for aerospace and defense applications, visit https://www.taoglas.com/markets/aerospace-and-defense.
