A radio system is only as good as its antenna" is a common proverb in the communications field. It is no less true with GNSS. However, significant constraints are often placed on the antenna in a GNSS system. Most significantly these are associated with cost and available space. Both constraints can impact reliability and performance.

Capturing as much as possible of the wanted signals from space and rejecting everything else is the goal for any aspiring GNSS antenna, but it's a tough goal to attain. GNSS signals are extremely weak when they reach the earth's surface and collecting them and passing them unperturbed into the receiver requires good practice. It is critical that the influence on a system by the antenna is properly modelled and tested so that its design, while constrained, is fully optimised. Find out how using a GNSS simulator to model an antenna can highlight the difference in a receiver's performance when the antenna is correctly modelled.

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