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In automotive applications, antenna Software and Measurements are strongly related with the simulation of the communication channels and the related test fields.
The design of antenna systems for smart applications like Diversity, MIMO or Digital Beamforming into cars has to be based on a thorough knowledge of the communication channel and the characteristic of the integrated antennas. Up to now this is realized experimentally, especially involving thousands of kilometres driving in urban, sub-urban and rural environments. For the present mobile communication and the upcoming digital broadcast and TV this is no longer sufficient, because the optimal antenna configurations are usually not found. It is further expensive and time consuming.
The solution is Virtual Drive. Virtual Drive implies the modelling of the coverage from the transmitter, including the angular-, polarization- and spatial characteristics of all impinging waves. The car-integrated antennas are modelled with their complex characteristic. The car is then virtually driven through the areas for which before the complex coverage has been calculated. The virtually received signals of the different antennas are then compared for their suitability for Diversity, MIMO or Digital Beamforming, concerning correlation, fading, power level and so on. The advantages of this Virtual Drive, concerning time, cost and resulting quality are so significant that no supplier or car manufacturer will be successful without it in the future.
ARTIC bring significant benefit in the abovementioned simulation and testing:
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1. ACE antenna software group provided best practices to easily assemble complex antenna simulation, by providing the Electromagnetic Data Interface (EDI), a software library able to simplify the integration process. EDI is actually downloadable on the ACE Virtual Centre of Excellence, at www.antennasvce.org.
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