Antenna Evolution Leads Connectivity Advancements

Faster, smaller, and lighter interconnect technologies are transforming electronics. This evolution isn’t limited to connectors; antenna designs are changing rapidly and leading the way for future transformation.

As electronic systems become increasingly compact and powerful, the need for faster, more reliable wireless communication is driving innovation in antenna technology. In tandem with advances in high-speed connectors, miniaturized cable assemblies, and optical links, antennas are evolving to enable next-generation connectivity. The latest antennas are smaller, more efficient, and capable of supporting multiple frequency bands and communication protocols simultaneously in integrated modules and multifunctional antenna design strategies. A single embedded antenna may now support GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 5G, reducing component count and simplifying device architecture.

“It all ties together, of course. Wireless connectivity, higher speeds, miniaturization, and the reduction of weight have really improved and that leads to a more connected ecosystem. The trend is towards integrated modules that concentrate multiple antennas in one module. We saw all of this come together especially in vehicles,” said Bernard Vetten, TE Connectivity senior principal field application engineer for the automotive division. “We have seen some new EV companies completely rearranging their antenna architecture just within the life cycle of the vehicle, which wasn’t very common before. They have completely moved away from basically using film antennas to using a fully integrated telematics control unit module.”

The familiar shark fin antenna encapsulates the antenna modules within an exterior roof-mounted structure.

Every device contains an assortment of antennas optimized for specific frequency bands. A computer has two to six antennas, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared, and GPS modules. A cellphone has a few more, adding 4G/5G, GNSS, NFC, and UBW. A modern car, however, can include more than 30 antennas that interface with networks for telematics, emergency services, internet service providers, GPS satellites, radio stations, in-cabin devices, smart city systems, hot spots, and internal car systems that enable functions like digital keys and tire pressure monitors. These antennas connect vehicles and drivers to ordinary vehicle functions and extraordinary services (emergency support) as well as future operations (diagnostics and over the air updates).

“The ability to update vehicles over the air is a huge development in connectivity. It’s actually quite exciting because we feel like automotive is catching up with some of the other industries which have been going at higher speeds for quite a while. Now we finally start to see those capabilities within the vehicle. It is well beyond the car function; connectivity now supports map updates, self-driving capabilities, advanced driver assist capabilities, and much more,” said Vetten.

These antennas are hidden in vehicles structures such as mirrors, bumpers, and windshields. The “shark fin” antenna structure on top of many cars is evolving and, in some cases, going away, said Vetten. “We are moving away from thin film antennas and some OEMs are moving away from the shark fin. If you have an external antenna, there will always be some wind resistance and that will create drag. And of course, drag would reduce some of the EV range.”

Integrated antenna modules, sometimes called antenna farms, are mounted underneath the roof, effectively eliminating the wind resistance that come with exterior mounts.

Some automakers are choosing a highly integrated unit, typically mounted below the shark fin, that contains multiple antenna components in a single module. “We see a mix in the market where some of the OEMs are still selecting external antennas — a shark fin combination — versus the ones which have the integrated modules. That integration of the TCU [telematic control unit] module is a massive improvement if you purely look at harnessing. In terms of placement, it’s a bit more challenging. The shark fin is easy to integrate but will give doesn’t give you all the benefits of integration.”

The cable impact

Integrating antennas leads to impacts across the entire connected architecture of a vehicle or device. Innovations in materials such as metamaterials, flexible substrates, and 3D-printed structures enable entirely new antenna configurations. Antennas can be designed directly into circuit boards or product housings, reducing cable-based connections.

In the automotive market, miniaturization comes with an added push as OEMs try to reduce overall vehicle weight. Cable is a huge impact on overall weight; an average car now has more than two miles of cable, and EVs have more than three miles, adding 110 to 220 or more pounds to a vehicle. That cable includes power, signal/data, coaxial, optical, and high voltage cable. About 10% of that cable supports antennas alone.

“Antenna choices can lead to a reduction on the harness length or even the need for a harness specifically from the controller to the antenna. If you start placing it all together, you still have a lot of connectivity but a lot less coax wires. In this case, you would go more to differential connectivity to reduce the weight and the complexity of the assembly,” said Vetten. “It’s just the reduction of wire. It’s not specifically the reduction of the connectivity, because the electrification of vehicles is just exploding. Everything is now electric. For example, a door was always a mechanical handle. That’s now a button. How it’s connected and the improvement the OEMs can make within their harnessing and ECU placement, that’s really where the gain will be for reducing cable lengths. But it also would bring some challenges for the connectivity, component placement, and harnessing — it’s so labor intensive.”

Future considerations

Vetten says that designing automotive connectivity requires planning for the future evolution of connectivity. “In general, the connectivity in vehicles is not going down. The OEMs, which have a good grasps on their upcoming architecture, are really trying to reduce that overall complexity. They’re starting to place some of the controllers in smarter positions. In the old days, you would have, for example, a controller which was responsible for 360° view. Then you would have another controller which would have a camera for the backup. You would have another controller which for example has some of the displays. Nowadays, it’s way more centralized. So currently we see a massive focus on centralized compute.”

That includes building in the ability for vehicles to accommodate upgrades. “That’s the challenge, I think for every OEM, especially if you want to scale across a lot of different platforms. Right now, you would have a Wi-Fi antenna, a Bluetooth antenna, and an antenna for the LTE without 5G, and with that, you concentrate it. We’ll start to see more 5G, eventually 6G, and ultimately more vehicle-to-everything integration.”

Learn more about antenna solutions at TE Connectivity.

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