Abstract
Radio Frequency technologies are rapidly penetrating the automotive industry in the form of RADAR in Advanced Driver Assistance systems; LF, UHF, UWB and NFC in Passive Entry, Passive start, Tire Pressure Monitoring systems; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy in V2V communication and advanced infotainment systems; GPS, LTE in telematics and vehicle tracking systems and many more RF interfaces to follow. The worldwide regulatory bodies are working on complex test and approval processes to limit the growing interference and ensure unified and compatible systems throughout the globe. Having worked on global RF regulatory approval processes for over five years in Short Range Devices (SRD) namely for Car Access and Passive Entry (CAPE) products, the authors have gained important insights about the peculiar needs of the industry, regulatory bodies, test laboratories. The paper discusses challenges faced by the authors while working with global and national regulatory agencies of multiple countries in terms of available standard, test infrastructure, interpretation of regulations, validity of homologation certificates in a way to guide new Tier-1 suppliers as well as OEMs. The viewpoint is that of a product developer than that of a regulatory body. There is no comprehensive literature that exists as guidance for emerging suppliers wishing to sell their RF products globally. This paper shall serve as easy to use reference and concise guidelines to develop and sell RF products globally whilst meeting the challenging RF homologation requirements.