Duo collaborate to deliver C-V2X test solution

It combines the R&S CMW500 network simulator and the R&S SMBV100A/B GNSS simulator operating together with Vector’s CANoe .Car2x, a comprehensive software tool for simulation, development and test of V2X-based Communication Applications.

The automotive industry is evolving toward connected and autonomous vehicles that offer many benefits, such as improved safety, less traffic congestion, reduced environmental impact, and lower capital expenditure.

With the trend to equip vehicles with 3GPP Release 14 C-V2X ECUs, peer-to-peer data transfer in ad-hoc networks between vehicles will be realized. All vehicles share location, speed and trajectory, enabling warnings regarding on-road dangers to be shared between drivers.

Applications cover use cases such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, data exchange with roadway infrastructure (V2I), and interaction with vulnerable road users such as pedestrians (V2P).

Data communication is implemented in the 5.8 GHz and 5.9 GHz intelligent transportation system (ITS) spectrum bands.

Rohde & Schwarz and Vector have successfully demonstrated a solution designed to configure and run traffic scenarios to comprehensively test the physical layer 3GPP Rel. 14 up to the application layer of C-V2X ECUs in a lab environment.

It harnesses the capabilities of the R&S CMW500 LTE network simulator and R&S SMBV100A/B GNSS simulator to Vector’s CANoe .Car2x, a software tool for simulation, development and test of V2X-based communication applications. The solution enables engineers to easily verify critical end-to-end safety-related V2X scenarios in a lab environment.

It uses the C-V2X software package for the R&S CMW500 to simulate the Physical- and MAC-layer, transmitting and receiving data over the simulated PC5 interface. This covers ideal, faded and congested channel conditions to the device under test (DUT).

In its current form, the solution supports both GNSS and PSSS/SSSS sidelink synchronisation options.

CANoe .Car2x offers a range of functions designed to configure and run traffic scenarios. This allows the stimulation of a C-V2X control unit according to a defined traffic situation that tests the implemented application in a structured manner. The included Car2x Scenario Editor supports the creation of traffic scenarios using a graphical interface. CANoe .Car2x generates the corresponding ITS communication based on the test scenario.

The scenario is then played back with the R&S CMW500 providing the radio access layer with the specific physical interface. This verifies data transmission and reception over the PC5 interface so that the functions of the ECU can be tested comprehensively.

The combined solution covers all layers - the complete stack, 3GPP Radio Access Layers for C-V2X Mode 4, region specific ITS protocol layers such as EU ITS-G5 and U.S. WAVE and the ITS application message sets.

This enables testing of specific use cases such as Emergency Electronic Brake Light (EEBL), Left-Turn Assist (LTA) or Intersection Movement Assist (IMA), as well as more complex scenarios with multiple simulated vehicles such as a congested highway. Additionally, security mechanisms could also be verified running simulations with both valid and invalid signed certificates.

On top of this CANoe supports all common automotive bus connectivity such as CAN, LIN, MOST, FlexRay and Automotive Ethernet, enabling the test engineer to analyze or stimulate the ECU within an entire system from their desk.

By extending the solution with the VN4610 interface from Vector, customers can access IEEE 802.11p and CAN (FD) networks as well. This enables users to analyse and test C-V2X and IEEE 802.11p (DSRC) communication and related applications with a single setup and a common user interface.