Testing Accident Emergency Call Systems (AECS): Not Just Smart, But Mandatory

Accident Emergency Call Systems (AECS) are becoming more common in cars to harness the potential of new technologies to help improve road safety.

For example, eCall is a European initiative intended to bring rapid assistance to motorists involved in a collision anywhere in the European Union. eCall is mandatory in all new cars approved for sale within the EU after April 2018.

The United Nations has also adopted a regulation for AECS usually named UN Regulation No. 144 (UN R144). The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (Authentic and legal binding text : ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/132) is the first UN regulation dealing with vehicle connectivity. This regulation now aligns the ERA-GLONASS emergency call system used in the Russian Federation with the EU’s eCall.

For either system, automotive manufacturers must now develop detailed eCall test procedures to comply with the standard, which includes specific test configurations that can be built only using GNSSGlobal navigation satellite system (GNSS): A general term describing any satellite constellation that provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services on a global or regional basis. See also simulation.

Use the Right Simulator

The Orolia GSGA GNSS Signal Generator is a device that is able to create simulated satellite signals and generate real RF signals by first producing I/Q data and calculating the orbits of satellites at a user-defined time, location and trajectory. line of GNSS simulators efficiently simulates all the GNSS constellations needed to test compliance of critical signal receiving equipment in a variety of eCall and UN AECS test scenarios. These are of special interest to vehicle manufacturers or IVS system integrators, and examples and models include those stated by the European GNSS Agency (GSA):

• Positioning accuracy under different conditions
• Time-to-first-fix
• GNSS receiver sensitivity
• Reacquisition performance following signal outages
• Playing specific static and dynamic trajectory scenarios
• Changing RF transmit power level manually or remotely sequenced as required by standard

The OROLIA eCall testing system, which combines a GSG simulator with our software suite, has been tested by JRC laboratory for GSA and approved by official laboratory for eCall testing (CETECOM).

The Orolia AECS Compliance testing tool suite, available on GSG simulators with StudioView software, is popular on the GNSS test bench thanks to its flexibility, easy-to-use user interface, accelerated test processes and its ability to provide final detailed and reusable test reports for compliance and homologation process.

Extract of compliance testing tool parameter page for AECS systems.

Orolia Professional Services

Orolia can also help you with assistance and expertise during automotive design, testing, or the homologation process. Our consulting division offers services to fit any situation and budget. Contact us for more information.

Learn more about eCall compliance testing. For more information, contact sales@orolia.com or Request a Quote now.