Two new features have been added to Rohde & Schwarz’s ATS1500C automotive radar test chamber in the form of a temperature test option and a new feed antenna. The former enables temperature-controlled measurements while the latter provides parallel access to both polarizations.
As R&S stated, the ARC-Temp feature creates a temperature-controlled environment configurable from -40°C to +85°C for the radar-under-test. An external thermal air stream system supplies the air to the temperature bubble mounted on the positioner, which changes the temperature without affecting the unit’s measurement performance. This feature makes it possible to automate measurements at different temperatures without a separate climatic chamber, which increases radar testing speed.
Meanwhile, the ARC-FX90 universal feed antenna supports 60 to 90GHz. It includes an orthomode transducer, which enables parallel access to vertical and horizontal polarizations.
With these updates to the R&S ATS1500C automotive radar test chamber – both retrofittable as hardware extensions – developers can efficiently characterize RF transmitters, calibrate antenna manifolds, measure antenna patterns, test robustness against interference, check compliance with regulations such as ETSI and FCC as well as plan testing and calibration procedures for later mass production.
According to R&S, the ARC-FX90 universal feed will be available at the end of 2022 and the ARC-Temp technology in the first quarter of 2023.