mmWAVE real-time testbed provision
ADAS technology provides communication tests in the 76-81GHz range.

National Instruments (NI) announced a partnership with the Situation-Aware Vehicular Engineering Systems (SAVES) initiative at the University of Texas at Austin.

NI is accelerating research on automated and autonomous vehicles by providing the mmWave real-time testbed. This testbed, focusing on ultra-low latency, novel radar waveforms, and data analytics, is expected to play a key role in the advancement of autonomous driving.

NI provides Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology and communications test in the 76–81 GHz range based on its mmWave front-end technology and the recently launched PXIe-5840 second-generation vector signal transceiver (VST).



The testbed integrates NI's second-generation VST with frequency-specific upconverters and downconverters designed to test the 76–81 GHz radar bandwidth using 1 GHz of real-time bandwidth. Engineers can use this LabVIEW and PXI-based system for radar target emulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing to determine the response of vehicle network links connecting vehicle sensors and the central processing unit.

“NI’s new ADAS test solution addresses radar characterization and test with a unique and scalable approach that delivers traceable RF measurements and system simulation,” said Stefano Concezzi, vice president of global automotive initiatives at NI. “NI’s open-platform approach to automotive electronics validation and test helps engineers quickly tune systems to address new radar scenarios and simplify the complexities of sensor fusion combined with deep learning-enabled ECUs. NI’s open, modular platform accelerates the development and validation of ADAS components and reduces capital equipment and total cost of ownership for ADAS HIL and test systems.”

The SAVES initiative, led by the Wireless Networking and Communications Group (WNCG) at UT Austin, works closely with the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) at UT Austin to overcome the limitations of vehicle engineering systems. This includes fusion of sensor data, relevance of data to safety and traffic management, and high-bandwidth communication of sensor data to base stations and cloud-based infrastructure.

Robert W. Heath, director of the SAVES initiative and professor of engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, said: “SAVES brings together companies working on wireless communications, sensors and automotive with outstanding faculty and students from UT Austin,” said Dr. Heath Jr. “NI’s new ADAS test solution will further enhance the capabilities of UT Austin’s existing equipment, including three test vehicles equipped with radar, lidar, cameras and DSRC radios, as well as the NI mmWave communications prototype.”