AWITAR – An automotive wireless test and research facility

Electronics of today are highly complex, and the trend continues. SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden is therefore engaged in building a world-leading test and research facility for wireless communication systems and EMC for e.g. autonomous vehicles and active safety systems.

AWITAR designed to meet the technologies and requirements of the future Systems that are safe in use and not interfere with other electronics. AWITAR is designed to meet the challenges of future technologies and future requirements. The idea is that it should be a facility where electronics can be tested to ensure that they do not cause interference to other devices around them and that they in turn are not subject to such interference.

At AWITAR vehicles can be tested in electromagnetic environments that can be controlled and repeatable. An important part of the facility is the instrumentation, for e.g. generating high field strengths, simulating complex wireless signals and creating a realistic environment for multi-sensor systems with radar, cameras etc. Massive heavy vehicles, machinery and equipment can be tested.

The design and technology aspects have been developed in close cooperation with the Swedish automotive industry. The facility is designed to be able to handle cars, trucks and buses as well as heavy construction machinery and other massive heavy equipment. At AWITAR one can find a unique resource for verification and testing, as well as research and development. It is possible to simulate complex signal environments for testing wireless systems, such as mobile phones and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

There will be a workshop area outside the shielded chamber with a lift for cars if modifications will be done. The control room has plenty of space for the customer to establish a workplace with surveillance equipment etc. Above the control room and in immediate connection to the chamber the customers have access to office space, conference room and dressing room.

EMC resources

AWITAR will be the seventh EMC test chamber at RISE. There will be around 40 people working with EMC when AWITAR is operational, including test engineers, support personnel and a research group. In addition to the new chamber the facility is completed by the present vehicle test chamber plus smaller chambers (including semi-anechoic, fully anechoic and reverberation chambers) for other types of test objects.

Construction started in April 2016 and the facility will be officially opened in January 2018.

Facts about the facility

Size of the shielded chamber: 28x18x12 m (LxWxH)

Weight up to 70 tons

Turntable with twin-axle GPS-controlled dynamometer (up to 25 tons)

Configured for a second, smaller turntable without dynamometer for scenarios involving V2X communication

6×6 m sliding gate flat entrance

High field strengths:

200 V/m field strength 0.1–1,000 MHz

100 V/m field strength 1,000–2,000 MHz

30 V/m field strength 2,000–6,000 MHz

Radar pulses on the L, S, C, X and Ku bands

Hybrid absorbers on the walls for future legal requirements low frequency requirements

The turntable is configured for supplying battery chargers

Cameras and microphones in the chamber for monitoring

Cooling and ventilation capacity for all conceivable scenarios

NSA-approved in accordance with CISPR16 for measurements at a distance of 10 m

SVSWR-approved in accordance with CISPR16 for measurements at a distance of 5 m

Adapted for present and future requirements from e.g. the EU, UN and China.

The chamber is approved for the following standards: UN ECE R10, CISPR 12, CISPR 22, CISPR 25, ISO 11452, IEC 61000-3-2, IEC 61000-3-3, IEC 61000-3-11, IEC 61000-3-12, IEC 61000-6-3, SAE J551, SAE J113, MIL STD 461 E/F