Ford Develops Dual FM Receivers to Improve Radio Reception

We’ve all driven through the concrete canyons of a downtown area or actual canyons in the wilderness and experienced the frustration of struggling to hear our favorite radio station as its signal bounces around, fading in and out, ghosting itself with a slightly delayed version of its content, or competing with a distant station broadcasting on the same frequency. Ford has figured out a cost-effective way to reduce this frustration: double the antenna count by “listening in” on the radio waves hitting the rear defroster grid with a second HD FM receiver.

Both receivers take in all the signals reaching the vehicle via the front and rear antennas. The infotainment system connects these receivers via a new Automotive Audio Bus (A²B) technology from Analog Devices, Inc. This high-speed information network allows the radio’s brains to continuously assess which signal is strongest. Only that strongest signal plays, and it simply goes silent when the signal becomes too weak to play reliably. Ford tested the dual-antenna concept by taking a 4,200-mile road trip, evaluating the ability of its radios to hang onto signals in and around key, radio-wave-dense cities like Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, New York City, Pittsburgh, and Seattle. They verified that the system lets the listener stay tuned to a favorite station longer during intra- and inter-city travel with no signal overlap.

The technology is rolling out on 2017 Ford Fusion and 2017 Ford Escape models equipped with the upmarket Sony audio systems, which are typically included on the Fusion and Escape Titanium trim levels and above. Who cares in this Pandora/Spotify/SiriusXM day and age? Ford cites research claiming that 93 percent of Americans listen to radio weekly. Well, all-righty then, let them do so via twin antennas—just like on some jet-aged ’50s fin-mobiles.

Source: Ford

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