Driving the vehicles of the future

photo of interconnected vehicles for EMC

Driving the vehicles of the future

News | 4 March, 2021

Vehicles interconnectivity is a thing from the future that we are experiencing today.

When Ford’s Model T was presented in 1908, the vehicle manufacturers were far from imagining how complex and interconnected vehicles would become. We live in a time where many components inside a vehicle must accurately communicate to each other, not only for the vehicle to function properly, but also to ensure the occupant’s safety and the safety of everything around it including people and property. Safety and operation of a vehicle becomes even more complicated when ‘V2X’ interactions are involved: Vehicle-to-Vehicle, Vehicle-to-Infrastructure, Vehicle-to-Person, and Vehicle-to-Network. The semi- or fully autonomous vehicles, complexity, and safety concerns multiply even further.

There are protocols being developed, like VANET which will allow vehicles to talk with their environment, including other vehicles, traffic lights, cameras, and even use this technology to avoid obstacles.

Given the deep integration of the components, manufacturers need to make sure that the electronic devices do not generate unexpected electromagnetic emissions, and that those components can work safely being exposed to EMC interference that other components may produce. There are a series of standards against which QAI can perform electromagnetic compatibility testing for the automotive industry which include:

The United States

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and automotive OEMs set the standards for the US. These generally reference international standards for EMI limits and test methods, as defined by ISO, IEC, CISPR as well as American ANSI documents.

European Union

For the European union and for many other countries the ‘E’ mark, is a mandatory requirement. The E-mark is applied to components, separate technical units (STU), and electrical sub-assemblies (ESA) as well as the complete vehicle.

United Nations & Most Other Countries

For most countries, the relevant automotive EMC standard is United Nations regulation ECE R10, currently at revision 5, which includes EMC requirements for electric (EV) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV).

Other countries

Such as India and China, have their own local requirements.

Car Manufacturers

Vehicle manufacturers like Tesla, Ford, Chrysler, GM, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, and others have their own standards. In many cases these standards often have stringent specifications, such as Ford CS2009, Chrysler- Fiat CS11979, or Nissan NDS02.

Wireless technologies, such as radar systems

The introduction of new wireless technologies such as automotive radar systems at 24/77/79 GHz and 5G connectivity, which can operate between 24 and 86 GHz require complete certification including verification for compatibility with each other and existing car systems.

Visit https://qai.org/electromagnetic-compatibility/ for more information about QAI Laboratories’ automotive EMC testing capability, or talk to one of our experienced account representatives for details of how QAI can help you demonstrate compliance of your product with applicable requirements.