Testing automotive electronics at EMV 2020

One of the things manufacturers have to ensure is that onboard receivers in vehicles are adequately protected against electromagnetic interference. Rohde & Schwarz has developed an especially fast measurement method for tests that meet the CISPR-25 standard. Not only does it measure very quickly, it does so with an extremely small resolution bandwidth of nine kilohertz.

The demo at the booth is based on the R&S ESR EMI test receiver with the R&S ESH3-Z6 line impedance stabilisation network. With its numerous features for analysis and troubleshooting, the R&S ESR is ideal as a midrange compliance test receiver.

Rohde & Schwarz is also exhibiting the new fast time-domain scan (fast TDS) function for the R&S ESW high-end test receiver. With double the scan bandwidth, the measurement speed is nearly twice as fast as a conventional time-domain scan.

This enables faster measurements than ever previously achieved commercially for time-consuming tests with a quasi-peak detector. Along with accelerating preliminary measurements, this method can be used for certification in the frequency range above 300MHz. Fast TDS is available at no cost with the next firmware version for the R&S ESW.

There is also a robust, compact test system for wired electromagnetic susceptibility measurements using the bulk current injection (BCI) test method, as prescribed for testing electronic modules in vehicles. The BCI system consists of the compact R&S SMC100A signal generator, the robust R&S BBA150-AB broadband amplifier with output power up to 350W in the frequency range from four kilohertz to 400MHz, the R&S NRP6AN average power sensor specifically developed for EMC applications, and the widely used R&S EMC32 measurement software. 

For video-based monitoring of status displays, indicator lamps and screens, Rohde & Schwarz presents the R&S AdVISE monitoring and analysis software. The software reliably and automatically reports any undesired deviations. It can recognise characters, symbols, display bars and pointer positions. Version 5, unveiled here, continuously checks the position of the object under test and adjusts the evaluation in real time. Vibrations from motors and shaking from turntables are no longer obstacles to automated monitoring. 

The new technology also simplifies changing the camera position. If the camera orientation is modified, the press of a button is all it takes to adjust the configuration of the monitoring software to the altered image view. R&S AdVISE v5 is perfectly matched to the R&S ELEKTRA EMC test software, allowing users to analyse events correlated to the associated frequencies, interference levels and factors such as antenna positions.