A leader in inspection, verification, testing and certification, SGS, has selected wireless connectivity testing specialist, MVG, to supply the first automotive over-the-air (OTA) test equipment compliant with the 5GAA Vehicular Antenna Test Methodology (VATM) standard for its service offering of automotive testing in the APAC region.

SGS has purchased an MVG SG 3000, a multi-probe antenna measurement and OTA test system for component to full-scale vehicle testing. This test system will be the first in the world to support 5G FR1 NSA and SA and C-V2X OTA measurements for automobiles in compliance with the 5GAA VATM standard, as well as the emerging UWB technology. With this acquisition, not only will SGS be able to support automotive manufacturers with services to test, validate and comply with increasing wireless standards and regulations, this test system will serve as an integral part of SGS’s one-stop state-of-the-art testing and certification solution in Suzhou, China, for electric and/or connected vehicles and their networks in the APAC region.

David Chu, SGS Global VP of Connectivity SBU, commented on the decision, “With the expansion of wireless communication networks in automotive systems and the increasing regulations that guide them, the MVG SG 3000 will allow us to support our customers in performing antenna and OTA testing on not only sub-system components, but full-scale vehicle systems. It is of utmost importance to our customers to obtain accurate test results in a timely matter in order to meet rigorous automotive test standards.”

MVG’s SG 3000 has been designed specifically for full-scale vehicle antenna measurement and OTA testing and covers a wide range of frequencies: from 70 MHz to 10 GHz. In addition to measurements of antenna radiation patterns and typical S-parameters, the SG 3000 is equipped to perform OTA tests that will provide analysis and results for engineers finalizing prototypes to meet automotive connectivity requirements such as those being defined by the 5GAA.

A diverse system for a range of facilities, the SG 3000 can be built to location and space specifications, with a selection of arch sizes and the option of a fixed or mobile structure.

Nicolas Gross, Application Department director for MVG added, “As the automotive industry is catapulted into a new era of rapid technological development, certifying the quality of automotive wireless connectivity has become crucial as well as complex. We are pleased that a renowned test house like SGS is leading the way in equipping its sites with state-of the-art OTA testing capabilities in collaboration with MVG. It will allow the automotive industry in the APAC region to keep pace with progression toward V2X and CV2X connectivity while meeting requirements set forth by the emerging and evolving standards.”