Development and Prospect of High-performance Satellite Antenna Manufacturing

GPS and Beidou antennas can be manufactured with different technologies. Civil systems generally adopt a planar structure. For example, in mobile phones, linear polarization is mostly used. The military system uses a circular-polarized 3D structure and adapts to the installation environment where the terminal changes its position drastically.

The comparison of antenna performance involves many factors. The best recognized in the industry is a four-arm spiral antenna loaded with a high-dielectric ceramic. The corresponding process is also very complicated, we here introduce a new manufacturing process: 3D printing technology (additive manufacturing technology). Its manufactured 3D GPS antenna is the best value for money.

First, several types of antenna

The 3D configuration of the Hilber antenna is the smallest (8X8X8mm) and the ceramic antenna is the largest (30mmX30mm)

(1) The actual test data shows that the 3D Hilbet antenna is 5 times smaller than the ceramic planar antenna, but the received signal amplitude is similar to the number of star receivers.

(2) Compared with different spatial positions, the remaining three antenna gains of the 3D configuration are better than those of the planar ceramics by more than 3 dB.

The plane-type GPS antenna, in terms of its radiation direction simulation, is shown in the figure. In the case of violent shaking, the boundaries between blue and red are distinct, and the signal amplitude changes drastically.

The four-arm spiral antenna is composed of two sets of spirals and forms a pair of orthogonal antenna combinations in space. The spatial radiation is superimposed into a heart shape. No matter how the antenna vibrates, it has 3 dB more gain than the 2D antenna. It is the best performance antenna recognized by the industry, and the actual test is the same!

Second, high-performance satellite antenna manufacturing development process

1. Plane antenna loading ceramic

Ceramics have a high dielectric constant and low losses and can provide gain compared to air media:

Therefore, high-dielectric, low-loss microwave ceramics are used to manufacture the antenna.

2. Four-arm spiral configuration is suitable for maintaining the gain of the space position change

Regardless of how it is placed, the gain decreases less. Its development has also evolved from air media to ceramic media:

However, the cylindrical ceramic manufacturing process is complicated:

You also need to strip the photoresist with a laser before electroless plating:

3, 3D printing and LDS technology to replace the ceramic four-arm spiral antenna

Manufactured using 3D printing or LDS technology, without the use of ceramic substrates, the same performance is achieved in the same volume.

4, 3D printing manufacturing 3DHilber configuration antenna, get better performance than the four-arm spiral

This type of antenna is viewed from different planes and has the same basic configuration. It changes its position drastically and its amplitude changes little. Higher gain than four-arm spiral antenna!

Third, look ahead

At present, the satellite terminal uses a four-arm spiral structure. The other type of 3D configuration of the Hilber antenna proposed this time enriches the antenna type. Together with the 3D printing technology and the LDS technology, the four-arm spiral antenna constitutes a new process. Devices.

3D printing technology has unique technical advantages in manufacturing such antennas, and is particularly suitable for manufacturing multi-frequency antennas with many levels. Widely used in GPS, Beidou, and satellite phones.

3D printing technology is currently in the development period, a small manufacturing space (generally 330mmX330mmX500mm) to manufacture some large parts, the production capacity is too small, the price is expensive, but the production of such a product is less than a cubic centimeter, a device with a daily production capacity of up to 5 Ten thousand, this will also be the first time in the history of 3D printing that Shouban processing, proofing, direct manufacturing of the dominant product for the mainstream market history events!