Rohde & Schwarz has joined the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to support the organization's mission to foster industrywide standards for communications between vehicles and smartphones. The company will contribute its broad expertise in mobile device and automotive technology testing. In particular, the company will provide its solutions for the development and production of UWB devices and modules for automotive applications such as keyless vehicle access.

The CCC is a cross-industry organization that advances technologies for smartphone-to-car connectivity solutions. The recently launched CCC Digital Key Release 3.0 specification enables compatible mobile device to perform passive keyless access and start the engine via UWB in combination with Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE).

UWB is a radio based communications technology for short range, high speed spatial and directional transmission of data. It is likely to feature on a wide range of computer devices and IoT peripherals in the future. Testing the performance of UWB devices is important in the lab and on the production line to ensure compatibility and correct operation. As a leader in wireless device testing, Rohde & Schwarz provides a full range of UWB test solutions for R&D, certification and production that accurately measure key parameters such as time of flight (ToF) and angle of arrival (AoA).

Jürgen Meyer, vice president Market Segment Automotive at Rohde & Schwarz, commented, "Our membership of the CCC is a further demonstration of the company's commitment to provide the automotive industry with test solutions to accelerate the realization of connected cars. We look forward to working closely with the CCC."

UWB's accurate ranging capability and low power consumption combined with high security and reliability makes it suitable for many automotive applications such as remote access and gesture recognition. For instance, the car can be parked or its trunk opened autonomously. Furthermore, with the UWB enabled Digital Key connection standardized by the CCC, access credentials to a rental vehicle can be shared or temporary access to in-car parcel delivery services can be granted via a mobile phone.

The R&S CMP200 radio communication tester is ideal for solving UWB test challenges in volume production as well as in R&D. The tester combines the capabilities of a signal analyzer and a signal generator in a single instrument. In combination with Rohde & Schwarz shielded chambers and the company's WMT software service to implement automated wireless manufacturing testing, the R&S CMP200 offers a complete solution for transmitter, receiver, ToF and AoA measurements in conducted and radiated mode, compliant to IEEE 802.15.4a/z specifications.