AUTOMOTIVE


Products fitted aftermarket Aftermarket radio products that can be fitted by end users and/or dealerships have additional RED consideration for compliance, and the risk assessment must consider the intended use of the radio in the vehicle. It is important to note that the RED guide


states a radio equipment installer/ integrator is considered to be the manufacturer of the radio equipment if:


• The compliance of the host is impacted because the instructions provided for the


radio equipment were not followed; or


• the intended function or performance of the host product is modified.


Radio broadcast receivers After the RED came into force in 2017, radio broadcast receivers were included within its scope for the first time, a significant change for the automotive industry. Additionally, vehicles, which use automotive radar equipment for collision avoidance and proximity sensing, as well as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tracking, also fall under the scope of the RED, as they are radiodetermination products. ETSI (www.etsi.org/) has produced several


new RED harmonised standards for the purpose of testing such products. Consequently, manufacturers can find achieving compliance to be a significant challenge as they were not previously required to undertake RF testing. The added


complexity is that radio equipment being placed into vehicles needs to consider the possible compatibility problems associated with multiple radio transmitters and receivers operating in close proximity to each other.


EMC misalignment RED and vehicle EMC requirements do not align, and this should be considered by radio and vehicle manufacturers when deciding a sensible compliance strategy and risk assessment for a product. Differences include the test frequency ranges and immunity levels. It should also be noted that RED EMC testing is focused on the radio EMC performance. In contrast, vehicle electromagnetic (EM)


requirements include EMC and Electromagnetic Safety (EMS) compliance. This must not be confused with the RED Article 3.1a health and safety requirements, which remains mandatory for all radio equipment under the scope of the RED. The significant risk for system critical radio products associated with vehicle safety, such as radar collision avoidance EM testing, obviously needs additional compliance considerations compared to, for example, an FM/DAB car radio receiver. Although the radio equipment


manufacturer may supply a RED health and safety assessment this may not consider all of the intended operating modes and environmental conditions for its use in the vehicle. This is an important aspect for radio


equipment integrators to consider so that overall vehicle safety is not impacted.


Risk assessment The risk assessment for both manufacturers of radio equipment and integrators of radio equipment into vehicles remains a critical part of the regulatory compliance process, which should be instigated at the start of the conformity assessment process. It is important to remember to demonstrate


compliance, with the aim to mitigate the risk as far as practicably possible by, for example, compliance testing and user guidance. Since the intended use and environmental conditions of radio equipment in vehicles may well be more safety critical/onerous then a standalone radio product, this should be carefully considered in the risk assessment by the manufacturer. The RED introduced a range of new


responsibilities for the entire automotive supply chain, including responsibility for product traceability, risk analysis and assessment, sample testing, and if required a register of complaints and product recalls. These radio equipment compliance considerations will only increase as vehicles achieve the higher levels of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Autonomous capability.


TÜV SÜD www.tuvsud.com/uk


The wireless world is having a significant impact on the automotive supply chain OCTOBER 2021 | ELECTRONICS TODAY 25


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