Engineers of the Perm Polytechnic University have developed compact and economical Wi-Fi antennas for telecommunications systems, ensuring data transmission with minimal losses and stable connection even in the absence of cellular communications. The development will improve transport efficiency and equipment especially used in remote areas – on construction sites, fields or quarries. Gazeta.Ru was informed about this by the press service of the educational institution.
Telematics terminals are now installed on almost all types of transport – from taxis and trucks to buses and agricultural vehicles. They continuously collect data on technical condition, route, fuel consumption and send it to dispatching services. However, if the connection is lost, the terminals go into an offline mode of accumulating information, which is then uploaded by a mobile data collector – a car with a Wi-Fi module driving to the device.
The antenna in the terminal determines how quickly and reliably the transmission will take place. PNIPU has created a printed MIFA antenna that is capable of receiving up to 99% of the supplied power and providing a stable communication channel.
During the work, experts compared different types of antennas – ceramic, stamped, patched and printed, choosing the best option in terms of cost, size and reproducibility.
“The best performance in terms of size, cost, reproducibility, static protection and directivity was demonstrated by the printed MIFA antenna. Its design is a copper track in the form of a zigzag line, formed directly on the surface of the printed circuit board,” said Sergei Tyurin, senior lecturer at the Department of Automation and Mechatronics at PNIPU.
According to the authors, the new solution can be used in serial telecommunications terminals for freight and agricultural transportation, logging, mining and construction equipment. The antenna does not require external installation, is resistant to damage and does not increase the cost of the device, which promises to be mass deployed in industry.
Previously, Russia solved one of the main construction problems in the Northern region.
