Design of a low profile multi-band antenna for vehicular communication system

A multi-band antenna fed from co-planar waveguide (CPW) was investigated and optimized for a vehicular communication system, facilitating vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside communication. The antenna covers the frequency bands 2.4 GHz and 5.4-6.0 GHz. This paper outlines the antenna optimization procedure and a design for prototyping. The prototyped antenna was measured and results were compared with a co-linear antenna and a commercial antenna, both meant for the same frequency bands. This paper also presents simulated mutual coupling effects between antenna elements when their positions and orientations on a finite ground are varied. Such knowledge helps to introduce antenna diversity using multiple antenna elements, leading to better antenna performances in mobile environments.