Rohde & Schwarz and Audi have partnered to enable Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) application testing by creating road traffic scenarios in the laboratory. Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) is a key technology that will increase traffic efficiency, improve road safety and enhance autonomous driving in the coming years. Of particular importance is the C-V2X PC5 interface, operating in the 5.9 GHz ITS frequency band. This enables direct, reliable, low latency communications between vehicles (V2V), vehicles and infrastructure (V2I) and vehicles and pedestrians (V2P).
To accelerate the deployment of this technology, cooperation between companies within the industry becomes increasingly important. In a joint project with Audi, Rohde & Schwarz and Vector Informatik have developed a C-V2X test solution that allows traffic scenarios involving multiple simulated vehicles and the communications between them to be tested in the laboratory in a precise and repeatable way. This enables the correct operation of C-V2X applications such as emergency brake warning in realistic and demanding traffic scenarios to be verified in the laboratory. Jointly with Audi, the laboratory solution was extended for use at the proving ground. This enabled the verification of several scenarios with one single physical vehicle and many simulated vehicles emulated by the Rohde & Schwarz test equipment.
The key benefits of this approach are the use of the same test equipment in both locations and reducing the number of vehicles required for the proving ground. This test approach allowed Audi to perform various load tests and corner case scenarios using test vehicles and simulated vehicles together at the proving ground. The excellent co-operation between the teams facilitated co-development of this innovative C-V2X test setup, helping to reduce time to market and saving capital expenditure.
The system comprises of an R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester, an R&S SMBV100B vector signal generator (laboratory only), the Vector CANoe Car2x software, an R&S BBA150 amplifier and an R&S HF918 antenna with a tripod and adapter. This system is easily capable of generating signals with up to 33dBm output power, which is required for emergency vehicles in certain markets. Synchronization of the simulated vehicles and the test vehicle at the proving ground with real GNSS sources allows verification of complex traffic scenarios in real time.
As C-V2X continues to increase its footprint in the automotive industry, having a test system which scales into different phases of the automotive verification cycle becomes increasingly important to reduce time to market and minimize capital expenditure. Rohde & Schwarz is committed to supporting their partners in the automotive industry with innovative C-V2X test solutions in the coming years.
Click here to learn more about automotive test solutions from Rohde & Schwarz.
