The INES (Inexpensive Earth Station) antenna transmits and receives on L-band, suitable for mobile communications on vehicles such as trains, trucks, cars and small to large ships at sea.
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"The unique design employed by IMST has resulted in not only a low cost antenna but also promises application to a wide field of users in the mobile community", explains Rolv Midthassel, Communications Engineer for ESA Telecom and ESA Technical Officer for the project. What distinguishes the INES antenna from current ones is that it can be steered electronically. Current mechanically steered antenna's, though reliable, are not only noisy but also suffer from shorter life-spans and higher maintenance costs than the INES antenna. |
The INES antenna contains no moving parts, the transmission and reception beam are steered electronically without sacrificing performance. A full duplex link to a satellite in GEO is provided for, ensuring simultaneous transmission and reception.
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Though fully steerable, no compromises are being made in size, weight or cost. This is achieved by eight 'patch elements' (image left). Full hemispheric coverage is achieved, not by a single moving antenna, but rather by switching electronically between the different patch elements. |
Low weight, low cost
IMST and sub-contractor Nera of Norway plan to bring the weight to a 3 kg, a significant reduction over the 10 to 12 kg of competing mechanical and hybrid (electrical/mechanical) products.
A selling price of 1800 Euro is foreseen, much lower than the 10 000 to 20 000 Euro price tag of current competing products.
The INES project team is optimistic about the market chances for their antenna. The BGAN system will be operational soon and Inmarsat will most likely issue plans to accommodate terminals with such mobile antennas within their system. That INES can be suitable for use with the Inmarsat BGAN only adds to this confidence.
Work on the first prototype has already been completed. This prototype is fully functional and has been successfully demonstrated in a live tracking test with ESA.
The final appearance of the antenna may change in the future. The team is preparing to integrate the antenna into the roof of a vehicle. Other future adaptations will include adjustments to the antenna structure for use aboard trains. Future modifications to the design will also likely take into account demands in the production process of the antenna.
"We believe to have developed a competitive antenna," states Mr Boettcher of IMST and Project Manager for INES. "To follow up on the project, we're currently searching for a service provider interested in bringing this novel concept to full market exploitation. As well a system manufacturer capable of producing the antenna at acceptable costs has yet to be defined."
To read more about INES: Inexpensive Earth Station just click under related links at the top-right of this page.
All images courtesy of INES Project Team
