Rohde & Schwarz and Allion Labs offer automotive Ethernet testing
Automotive Ethernet testing according to the OPEN Alliance TC9 is provided following the partnership of Rohde & Schwarz Taiwan and certification testing service provider, Allion Labs. The pair has jointly developed test capabilities for automotive Ethernet shielded and unshielded twisted pair (UTP and STP) in compliance with the OPEN Alliance TC9 standards.
Developments in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment are increasing automotive data rates. It is therefore important to ensure the quality and performance of the cables and components of the communication channel. Automotive Ethernet is a key enabler for high data rate applications, as well as for data backbone, connecting different domain controllers. The OPEN Alliance which sets standards for automotive Ethernet, specifies the electrical requirements and test procedures for cables and connectors through the technical committee TC9. These standards ensure compliance with link segment requirements of the IEEE 802.3 automotive Ethernet at various speed levels up to 10GBASE-T1. They also describe a mandatory test procedure for all cables and connector manufacturers producing products for automotive Ethernet.
The partners combined the R&S ZNB vector network analyser with the Allion AET21064 customised cable fixture and a conductive drum enabling cable and connector suppliers to fully certify automotive Ethernet cables and connector tests in accordance with the OPEN Alliance TC9 standard.
Test fixtures are an essential part of the testing process since signal integrity largely determines the quality of automotive Ethernet TC9 UTP cables. According to Rohde & Schwarz, Allion Labs’ design expertise allows users to save time on fixture development and significantly shorten the time to market.
