GNSS signals (for example GPS signals) are of major importance for positioning and tracking, orientation and safety-related information, such as congestion, in road traffic. A collaboration between AVL and Rohde & Schwarz, two of the world’s leading providers of measuring and automotive testing systems, now permits the reproduction of realistic GNSS reception conditions for testbed vehicle testing. As a result, users can reliably test all aspects of GNSS-based vehicle positioning–a core functionality of autonomous vehicles.

AVL DRIVINGCUBE™ enables the reproducible testing of driver assistance systems and driving features for self-driving vehicles using a real vehicle within a virtual environment in a variety of different traffic situations. For that purpose, test drives are performed with a real, ready-to-drive vehicle on a chassis dynamometer or powertrain testbed. With the help of realistic virtual driving scenarios it is possible to test peripheral sensors, control systems and actuators inside the vehicle in a fully reproducible and reliable manner. Automated vehicle functions are thus sufficiently validated during development and even before testing on the proving ground.

The range of environment simulations carried out with AVL DRIVINGCUBE™ can now be extended to include GNSS signals, bringing simulation closer to reality than ever before. The vehicle’s GNSS receiver (e.g. GPS) is stimulated realistically using GNSS signals generated on the testbed. This way, technical engineers can identify exactly how sensors, automated driving features and other actuators respond inside the vehicle. The now possible GNSS-based vehicle positioning feature is a core functionality of automated driving, and the approach ensures that it is reliably tested.

For generating GNSS signals, Rohde & Schwarz GNSS stimulators are used (R&S®SMBV100B or R&S®SMW200A), which allow the generation of signals for all of the available satellite navigation systems (GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, SBAS) across all frequency bandwidths (L1, L2, L5). This also makes them suitable for testing multi-frequency receivers, which are playing an increasingly important role in automated driving.

Solution with added value

“In Rohde & Schwarz, we now have a strong and reliable partner for GNSS stimulation. By generating consistent GNSS signals in connection with environment simulation, AVL DRIVINGCUBE™ now provides a test system that allows users to validate GNSS-based driver assistance systems and autonomous driving features,” explains Dr.-Ing. Tobias Düser, head of Advanced Solution Lab at AVL Deutschland GmbH. Christoph Pointner, head of Signal Generators at Rohde & Schwarz, adds: “We are very pleased to bring our expertise in the field of signal generation to this collaboration with AVL and contribute to such an important innovation and trendsetting solution for testing automatized driving features.”

The additional GNSS stimulation makes testbed testing not only more realistic, it is above all a further step in moving testing from the road to the rig. This leads to a much sharper reduction of test drives than was the case previously and major savings in the kilometers driven.

A flexible system easily integrated

Rohde & Schwarz GNSS stimulators form a flexible, modular system that can be adapted to your requirements and is easily integrated in the AVL DRIVINGCUBE™ environment. The stimulator is controlled automatically from the simulation platform. GNSS extensions for AVL DRIVINGCUBE™ are available with immediate effect.