Two innovations impacting the automotive testing world, both the result of partnerships that include the Rohde & Schwarz technology group, have recently come across the Electronics360 news desk.
First up is a robot-based solution for end-of-line measurement of bumpers and radomes (structural enclosures made for protection of radar antennae). Noting that its existing R&S QAR and R&S QAR50 devices are optimized for measuring smaller external vehicle components, leaving challenges for the measurement of large and complex parts in production, the company teamed with Löhnert Elektronik to devise what it calls a fully automated turnkey solution for measuring automotive radomes of all forms and shapes.
The R&S QAR50-R measures RF transmission, transmission phase and reflection of devices under test (DUTs), using electronic focusing for high precision and accuracy in production environments. Its compactness and low weight enable compatibility with standard six-axis robots. Also available is a verification set that enables radome and bumper suppliers to trace the results back to national and international standards.
The company also worked with powertrain developer AVL on a solution to support automated testing of electric vehicles with simulation of real driving conditions. As Rohde & Schwarz notes, the importance of dynamic, active-drivetrain testing is underscored by the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) challenges inherent in vehicle electrification — a result of higher semiconductor switching frequencies, along with higher emissions tied to voltages and currents.
The new solution relies upon AVL PUMA 2 automation for control of the test cycle and storage of measurement data, synchronized with R&S ELEKTRA EMC test software for information exchange between the testbed and EMC measurement equipment. R&S ELEKTRA is responsible for automated measurement of equipment under test (EUT) being certified for emissions through electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing, and for immunity through electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) testing. A previously manual process has been replaced to enable automatic communication with AVL CONCERTO software, which handles post-processing of measured data and provides test reporting according to predefined pass/fail criteria.
“Many customers have been wanting for years to see Rohde & Schwarz EMC analyzers connected to the AVL EMC test automation system. Together, we have finally accomplished this,” said Alban Hemery, department manager for e-motor test systems and EMC applications at AVL.
