Guided by a shared vision of fully automated, CI/CD-connected development environments based on open standards and modern software practices, the suppliers aim to make HIL testing truly ‘soft’ – meaning software-driven –  as well as being flexible, scalable and seamlessly deployable. This is central to supporting the evolution toward software-defined vehicle architectures.

Gianluca Vitale, software global unit manager at AVL, said, “At AVL, our software strategy continues to evolve with a clear focus on accelerating development through end-to-end solution responsibility, positioning ourselves as an open integrator that enables customers to move faster and more efficiently.”

“Together with VCarSystem, we are introducing disruptive, end-to-end approaches that radically speed up software release cycles and E/E integration, offering a new benchmark for testing efficiency and development agility,” said Qi Chen, president of VCarSystem. “Partnering with AVL marks a significant step toward reshaping the future of vehicle development in the era of software-defined vehicles.

“As the industry shifts from hardware-bound architectures to software-driven mobility platforms, validation must evolve at the speed of software. Together with AVL, we are building an open, scalable testing ecosystem that accelerates function validation, shortens development cycles and enables continuous innovation throughout the SDV lifecycle – creating long-term sustainable value for our global customers and partners.”

Related news, MissionH24 accelerates hydrogen innovation with AVL Racetech simulation technology

By making this work available as an early preview, Codethink is inviting organizations interested in applying open source approaches to functional safety to review and begin working with the mapping while the work continues to mature. 

“This preview release reflects our belief that trust in software must be engineered in the open. We want organizations working at the cutting edge of safety-critical software to be able to review, evaluate and begin applying these mappings as they evolve,” said Paul Sherwood, chairman of Codethink. 

The Eclipse Trustable Software Framework defines six tenets – provenance, construction, changes, expectations, results and confidence – each aligned to the objectives of IEC 61508. This structure enables organizations to connect everyday software development practices with the rigor expected in safety-critical systems. 

Codethink plans to contribute the mapping to the Eclipse Trustable Software project once the company has achieved a successful functional safety assessment of CTRL OS using the TSF. This future contribution will build on the baseline assessment achieved last year and represents the next step in validating the framework in a production software environment. 

Until that milestone is reached, the mapping is being made available as an early preview for those interested in exploring open, transparent approaches to safety and compliance. 

“Our goal is simple, by demonstrating compliance with the Trustable Software Framework, organizations should be able to demonstrate alignment with the world’s most important safety and regulatory standards. Open collaboration is the fastest way to get there,” said Sherwood.  

The June edition of ATTI – read online here – will include a software feature investigating the latest in integrated testing, continuous integration and continuous development (CI/CD) and predictive testing

Related news, Codethink’s Eclipse Trustable Software Framework achieves positive functional safety assessment

Electromagnetic compatibility issues rarely stem from a single component or test failure. More often, they originate from design decisions made early in development and remain hidden until late-stage compliance testing. This webinar will focus on how engineers can use EMC pre-compliance testing as a practical design and diagnostic tool rather than a pass/fail exercise.

The session, hosted by Jeff Markham, EMC principal engineer at Element Materials Technology, will explore what pre-compliance testing can and cannot predict; common EMC failure modes observed during early development; and how test setup, correlation, and engineering judgment directly influence results. Attendees will gain insight into how PCB layout, grounding strategy, cabling and switching architectures affect EMC behavior long before formal compliance testing begins.

Learn how early diagnostics can uncover hidden risks, reduce late redesigns and improve overall EMC robustness. This webinar is intended for engineers looking to make informed EMC decisions earlier in the design cycle.

Five key learning points for delegates:

• What EMC pre-compliance testing realistically reveals, and where its limits are.
• Common design-level causes of EMC failures seen during development.
• How test setup and correlation affect the quality of EMC insight.
• Practical techniques for identifying EMC risk early in design.
• When pre-compliance testing is sufficient and when deeper diagnostics are needed.

REGISTER NOW
Listen in and take the opportunity to ask questions along the way, on March 11, 2026, at 11:00am EST / 4:00pm GMT / 5:00pm CET.

Register for the webinar here.

The GCAR 6283 runs on embedded hardware using the QNX real-time operating system. Unlike traditional interface cards or PC-dependent systems, communication, diagnostic and simulation tasks are executed directly on the hardware. This enables functions such as residual bus simulation, parallel single-ECU testing and high-performance flashing of multiple control units without relying on a host PC.

The company says the system is designed for development environments as well as production, end-of-line (EOL) and run-in testing applications where high levels of parallel testing are required.

The tester is built on a modular backplane architecture that allows flexible configuration through plug-in modules. Supported vehicle communication standards include CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay and automotive ethernet, including 100BASE-T1, 1000BASE-T1 and 10BASE-T1S. Support for CAN XL and multigigabit automotive ethernet is planned as part of future expansions.

In addition to bus interfaces, the system provides a range of digital and analog I/O options for functions such as trigger signals, PWM, SENT and other test tasks. Onboard firmware supports features including end-to-end security functions (checksums and message counters), SecOC, network management and diagnostic protocols, allowing time-critical operations to be processed locally on the hardware.

This architecture enables complex test scenarios such as gateway simulation, parallel flashing operations and advanced residual bus simulations on a single standalone system. For trace data capture, the GCAR 6283 can be expanded with an integrated M.2 SSD.

For integration into automated test environments, Göpel Electronic provides a C-based programming interface (G-API) as well as a LabVIEW library. The system connects to a host PC via a pluggable interface card supporting 1Gbit ethernet or 5Gbit USB.

Residual bus simulations can be configured using Göpel’s Net2Run software toolchain, which derives AUTOSAR-compliant configurations from data formats including ARXML, FIBEX and DBC before deploying them to the hardware.

One of its key uses is demonstrations of technology solutions with R&S partners. For example, a test system that combines EMC receivers and automation software from Rohde & Schwarz with the AIP EMC Chassis Dynamometer enables vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1s to evaluate the EMC performance of their designs under realistic operational conditions. AIP has enhanced this system with R&S radar target simulators to also provide vehicle-in-the-loop testing of radars in a controlled environment. The Osaki office is near AIP’s new facility, enabling fast servicing and turnaround time for AIP.

Rohde & Schwarz is expanding its collaboration with Granite River Labs (GRL) and Analog Devices (ADI) to support in-vehicle network compliance testing in Japan. GRL, a provider of compliance testing and certification services for standards such as multigigabit ethernet and the Automotive SerDes Alliance, has a long history of using Rohde & Schwarz test equipment. ADI, a global semiconductor supplier, is working closely with Rohde & Schwarz worldwide to promote adoption of the emerging OpenGMSL standard through the OpenGMSL Association.

The collaboration is supported by Rohde & Schwarz Japan’s expanded facilities and the availability of leading-edge oscilloscopes and vector network analyzers, designed to ensure fast and reliable standards-compliant testing, including solutions tailored for the Japanese market. This will accelerate testing processes and facilitate the building and delivery of OpenGMSL-based solutions. The availability of local expertise and instruments is considered critical in supporting the global automotive ecosystem.

In another partnership, IPG Automotive is working with Rohde & Schwarz to integrate automotive radar hardware-in-the-loop testing from the proving ground into the development lab. The collaboration combines IPG Automotive’s CarMaker simulation software with Rohde & Schwarz’s scalable AREG800A radar target simulator, the R&S QAT100 advanced antenna array and the compact R&S RadEsT target simulator.

This combination provides OEMs and Tier 1s with the ability to simulate ADAS/AD scenarios, including those defined in Euro NCAP, in a controlled, safe, time-efficient and cost-reducing environment. In the newly established office, both companies jointly set up and demonstrate their HIL systems alongside the development of local traffic scenario simulations specific to Japan.

The automotive industry is actively exploring non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) to provide ubiquitous wireless connectivity for always-connected vehicles. The capabilities of chipset developer MediaTek’s latest NR-NTN device have been demonstrated using the Rohde & Schwarz CMX500 radiocommunication tester, a versatile solution for testing various NTN technologies including NR-NTN, NB-NTN and Direct-To-Cell (D2C, DTC). The CMX500 offers multiband and multi-orbit support, along with a dedicated NTN workspace for visualizing deployed networks and their parameters.

Rohde & Schwarz leverages its wireless and automotive expertise to help navigate the challenges associated with NTN, identify key vehicle components and explain the role of testing in creating NTN-enabled vehicles. With the opening of the hub, the global partnership between MediaTek and Rohde & Schwarz, which already covered Europe, North America and China, has now been expanded to include Japan.

The office in Osaki will facilitate a greater number of projects for Japanese automotive partners, including faster support for local NTN projects with MediaTek. The R&S CMX500 empowers customers in Japan to test and optimize the entire NTN integration chain – from chipsets and modules to antennas, TCUs and vehicles – and validates NTN vehicle connectivity tailored to the Japanese market.

Naoshi Saito, general manager of Rohde & Schwarz Japan, commented, “We are very proud of our new facility in Osaki, and we invite the Japanese automotive community to make the most of this resource and the talented staff who work here.”

In related news, Rohde & Schwarz and MediaTek partner to advance 6G waveform testing

Voltage spikes can be triggered by fast switching operations and amplified by inductances, potentially damaging or destroying downstream components. The new PMx pulse load resistors from Isabellenhütte – starting with the PMT (2817) size – safely dissipate these peaks. Based on Isabellenhütte’s SMD (surface mount device) shunt technology, the PMx series is not intended for precision measurement but instead for damping voltage spikes.

The PMT design follows the Isa-Plan principle: a copper substrate carries a foil made of Isabellenhütte’s proprietary Noventin resistive material. Its high specific resistance enhances pulse load capacity. Voltage peaks are temporarily stored in the resistive material and dissipated as heat through large copper terminals into the PCB.

Depending on the pulse energy, one or more resistors may be required. Multiple resistors can be configured in parallel or series arrays to evenly distribute the load. The number and configuration depend on expected pulse loads, available PCB space and desired resistance values.

In a snubber circuit consisting of a resistor and capacitor, PMx resistors are ideal for use in e-fuses – resettable electronic fuses found in the power supply for a vehicle’s cigarette lighter. When excessive current is drawn, the e-fuse disconnects to protect connected devices. The rapid disconnection activates the snubber circuit. The capacitor initially absorbs the pulse load and discharges through the pulse load resistor, which converts the energy into heat and dissipates it via copper terminals into the PCB.

All resistors in the PMx series are tested in accordance with the AEC-Q200 automotive standard. Within this series, the PMT is currently available in size 2817 with a value range from 50mOhm to 2.5Ohm (R050, R500, 1R00 and 2R50). The PMT is currently in the final phase of the qualification process, with series production scheduled to start at the end of March 2026. In addition to the values listed in the data sheet, customer-specific variants can also be realized within this range. Furthermore, other sizes are available on request: the feasibility of the PMS in 2512 has already been tested and can be implemented at short notice as existing equipment from measurement shunt production can be used. The PMP in size 2010 is also available as an additional option.

According to Isabellenhütte, PMx pulse load resistors are easy to integrate into PCB designs. For higher pulse loads, Isabellenhütte offers support in selecting the appropriate number and type of resistors, as well as in dimensioning, configuration and design-in. Upon request, thermal simulations can be performed to assess heat development and dissipation.

Learn about Stellantis’ HIL testing of ECUs, which it now designs in-house for the first time, in the November edition of ATTI 

Among the disruptive forces that are reshaping the automotive industry, electrification is entrenched and unrelenting. Market demands as well as safety and environmental legislation are calling for all cars – from entry-level to premium models – to become smarter, more assistive, more connected and sustainability conscious. To deliver these values, car makers are adding more sensors, computing power and communication capabilities, and electrifying more subsystems, from water pumps and power steering to the entire drivetrain.

It’s a trend that presents opportunities for electronic component manufacturers and assembly builders in the automotive supply chain. Among the challenges, the industry’s high-quality expectations and unit-volume demands call for test capabilities that are fast and extremely accurate, and able to correctly identify good units and any that have defects. This needs to be accomplished with minimal errors or time-consuming rechecking to rectify false NG results.

Improving tests of advanced electronics  

Contact test solutions for advanced equipment using probes could prevent suppliers from meeting their objectives, as test contact points are becoming smaller, more closely spaced and more difficult to reach with conventional sprung test probes (Figure 1).

Furthermore, connecting with the DUT at a single point creates an unreliable solution. All types of electronic devices are affected, from semiconductor wafers to ECU modules, as component geometries are being reduced and PCB assemblies are more densely populated. Also, intricately designed vibration-proof connectors used within the automotive industry present difficulties for probes to achieve contact when placed on the test fixture (Figure 2).

Problems with sprung test probes or pogo pins are already common. The pins often fail to make proper contact with the test point. Based on actual research, only 80% of occasions when tests are performed using standard pogo pins result in the DUT being correctly classified. Such errors result in high false NG rates that require investigation and re-testing. In addition, the typical lifetime of a pogo pin can be about 100,000 cycles. At automotive mass-production volumes, this can demand frequent stoppages for replacement. Inaccurate results and frequent stoppages both impair productivity and cause delivery delays.

Also, the contact resistance due to conventional pogo pin structure can be inconsistent and is not usually less than 70mΩ, which can prevent testing of assemblies where contact resistance needs to be low. A generally accepted practicable minimum diameter for conventional sprung pins is about 0.35mm. Reducing the size can prevent reliable contact with test points as the probes can become fragile, leading to more frequent malfunctions and breakages. And yet, smaller test pins are required to meet future demands. An alternative is needed to ensure efficient, fast and accurate contact testing.

Pin limitations

Conventional pogo pins are carefully designed to possess compliance that allows tolerance for a small amount of positioning error, as well as spring force to press against the DUT test point and ensure a robust electrical connection with low ohmic resistance. However, the mechanism adds complexity to the design and seizing or other malfunctions are possible as the DUT is placed on the test fixture. The pin can break or the spring may fail if positioning error or force is excessive. Further reducing the mechanism size to permit closer positioning needed to test densely populated boards results in the pin being more fragile and more easily broken.

Creating an alternative that overcomes these limitations while also supporting the drive toward smaller geometries is not easy or trivial. A suitable pin must provide adequate compliance to let the pin find its place against the test point as well as ensuring adequate and consistent contact force. At the same time, durability needs to be improved to minimize stoppages to replace broken pins and prevent false NG results that can result from poor electrical contact and inconsistent contact resistance.

A new type of test pin made with a specially developed electroformed (EFC) metal alloy and fabrication process now presents a solution to meet these demands. The custom material provides mechanical properties comparable to 304-grade stainless steel (SUS304/SS304) and meantime electrical properties achieving great conductivity at copper level. The combination of alloy properties and dedicated pin design (Figure 3) enable one-piece pins that eliminate the size restrictions and potential for seizing associated with the conventional spring mechanism.

Optimized electrical parameters 

The pins enable test engineers to create high-reliability test fixtures with a pitch down to 0.175mm. Because the pins have been shown to make proper contact with the test point on over 99.8% of test operations, the risk of false NG results from poor pin contact is greatly reduced. Also, with a lifetime easily reaching 500,000 cycles depending on application and design, their longevity improves efficiency and reduces stoppage time. The one-piece design ensures consistent electrical parameters and extremely low-contact resistance, typically about 30mΩ, which is suitable for testing products like OLED panels. Moreover, flexibility to optimize all aspects of the pin size, shape and tip design mean the pin properties can be adapted for a wide variety of applications.

EFC pins are suited to pin blocks and complete custom sockets for board-level testing and are also used in optimized fixtures for IC and other component testing, or even device test. They have been designed for testing high-end modules with high transmission speeds, as well as high-power electronics at levels much above 2A per pin for unique bundle structure, meantime reaching the highest testing durability.

There is also an off-the-shelf product. The unique test socket for USB Type-C connections combines EFC pins with resin pin tips and a special floating head mechanism that enables 1° of tolerance in X-Y positioning (Figure 4). The floating head ensures fast and faultless insertion to avoid stoppages when used in test equipment while the special internal pin structure extends the endurance of testing sockets compared to existing means.

Conclusion

Pogo pins have a long and distinguished record in the history of electronics testing and can continue delivering high levels of performance in many applications. At the cutting edge, however, the geometries of the latest components and assemblies are becoming too small for conventional pins.

Creating a suitable solution has demanded innovation both in materials science and electroforming production processes. New one-piece EFC pins allow test-point spacing as small as 0.175mm, with lower contact resistance than pogo pins, and enhance positional accuracy, resilience and reliability. Using custom shapes and tip profiles, these pins can reach difficult areas such as inside complex connectors, and can meet demanding applications such as high-frequency or high-current testing. Product manufacturers can experience fewer false NG calls and fixture repairs, raising efficiency, productivity and delivery performance.

Look out for a feature in the November issue of ATTI on how Stellantis ensures the robustness, reliability and compliance of EE components and systems through systematic validation and virtualization. Read the September edition for FREE here

With more than 250 solution providers, The Future of Automotive Testing Conference and the Innovation Showcase, it’s the ideal place to discover new solutions, share ideas and build valuable connections.

There will truly be something for everyone, whether you’re an NVH specialist seeking new acoustics testing tools, an EV engineer in need of high-voltage test equipment, an ADAS expert looking for the latest lab systems, or a simulation specialist in need of a tool or a test driver searching for a new vehicle rental partner.

The Innovation Showcase will take place on day one and day three, enabling visitors to learn more about some of the latest technologies on display. Its interactive format is always a big hit. On day two, ATTI will host The Future of Automotive Testing Conference, beginning at 9:55am with an onstage interview featuring ATTI columnist Jon M Quigley, and with a program that features a wealth of influential industry figures.

Serving as the testing sector’s foremost communications platform, ATTI will also report live news throughout the show and gather intelligence for upcoming magazine issues. Don’t hesitate to share your ideas or news with ATTI.

For a comprehensive preview, see the September edition of Automotive Testing Technology International magazine.

Automotive Testing Expo North America will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, on October 22-23. Visit the expo website to register for your free expo pass.

The Future of Automotive Testing Conference

This day of high-level content will explore various topics and provide an engaging opportunity to learn from and connect with industry peers. Situated among the exhibits, it will have a relaxing atmosphere, and visitors will be able to dip in and out at their leisure. A highlight will be ATTI’s on-stage interview with Jon Quigley, who worked for Volvo for many years and now runs his own company, Value Transformation. With his broad experience and portfolio of contacts, he’s a very good person to know. He loves sharing his thoughts, too, hence his new gig as ATTI’s regular columnist.

Read Quigley’s latest column on p36 of the September issue.

Also during the conference, Venkat Adusumalli, software engineering manager at Stellantis, will reveal how Stellantis is using AI to accelerate E/E system testing and validation workflows. Click here for a pre-show interview with him.

Innovation Showcase

The free-to-attend Innovation Showcase also provides an interactive platform for learning about new technologies. Speakers will welcome questions and discussion after their presentations, making it a great way to explore ideas together. Like the conference, it will take place within the main hall, so it will be very easy to listen in while wandering through the exhibits, or to come and go throughout the day.

Technology debuts

The industry is moving quickly and it can be a challenge to keep up. Every year there is an abundance of new technologies on display. Some are incremental improvements to existing products, others are entirely new. It’s always surprising how companies find ways around bottlenecks. Often, these developments emerge from ongoing conversations between supplier and customer, ultimately benefiting multiple companies.

Read ATTI‘s comprehensive expo preview in the September issue.

Face-to-face discussions  

It sounds obvious, but the most fruitful conversations are usually the ones that happen in person – it’s how journalists find the best stories. Year after year, exhibitors and visitors report having forged unexpected collaborations at the show, in the form of technology tie-ups or service partnerships.

Detroit’s revival 

A lot of money has been plowed into Detroit in recent years, as evidenced by the stunning renovation of Michigan Central Station, which is well worth a visit. Much of the investment has been in the tech sector. Eleven years ago – when the station was still derelict – ATTI took a tour of some of the labs at GM and what was then the FCA headquarters (see The right wave length, November 2014, Seasonal highlights, September 2015, and Powerbase, March 2015). The facilities were impressive then and are even more so now, thanks to several years of investment in innovation leading to Detroit’s resurgence as an automotive powerhouse.

Visit the Automotive Testing Expo North America website to secure your FREE pass, which will give you access to the expo, the Future of Automotive Testing Conference and the Innovation Showcase

Pony.ai’s seventh-generation AD system is designed for a lifecycle of 10 years or 600,000 km. Through algorithm optimization and system engineering, Pony.ai has reduced the domain controller’s cost by 80% compared to the previous generation while increasing its lifespan, effectively lowering the system’s total lifecycle cost.

The L4 domain controller features three Nvidia OrinX chips in the main unit and a fourth dedicated to system redundancy, providing a total of 1,016 TOPS of computing power. Developed through a co-designed hardware-software architecture, Pony.ai custom-built the controller to meet the full system and functional requirements of fully driverless robotaxis, as well as the performance and safety demands of L4 autonomous driving algorithms. As a result, the controller has achieved a 50% to 80% reduction in size, weight, power consumption and cost.

Functioning as the central computing hub, the controller integrates system power management, interactive display, hazard warning lights, gateways and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) capabilities essential for robotaxi operation. By integrating these features into a single unit, Pony.ai has reduced wiring complexity and the number of individual components. The domain controller supports both liquid cooling and passive cooling.

The system incorporates a multi-layered safety architecture and degradation strategies, delivering fail operational capability – in the event of a primary system failure, the controller can seamlessly switch to the redundant system or the minimum risk condition controller (MRCC) to ensure safe vehicle control. Even if the main system’s power or chassis communication fails, the redundant system can still maintain critical perception (including blind spot coverage) and safe driving capabilities. This enables the vehicle to navigate intersections or ramps and safely pull over, minimizing the risk of traffic disruption or collisions.

In related news, Waabi recently launched an alternative to closed-course track testing – mixed reality testing (MRT). Read the full story here