Autonomous vehicles are a field that emphasizes reliability, directly linked to the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. To achieve this, they must drive at least 100,000 kilometers, but real-world driving is challenging. This is why hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, which simulates real-world conditions as closely as possible, is crucial for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Notably, prior to the fatal Tesla S accident, radar-based simulations had not been conducted. The autopilot function used CAN communication to simulate messages to verify proper braking and the proper functioning of each unit. This led to growing calls for tests that replicate actual driving conditions after the accident. NI's Jeong Ho-min, a senior vice president, said, "Current technology has made it possible to simulate situations such as 'a radar is approaching from 200 meters away at 100 km/h.'" It can receive the source signal from the radar and drive it in the FPGA, or it can determine the distance through delay to see how far away the car is, and it can even determine the size of the response by adjusting the power.

Vice President Jeong continued, “AUDI adopted HIL solutions during the testing phase because they can simulate various situations.”

NI's HIL solution creates a virtual environment for pre-testing entire embedded systems. Furthermore, its open platform allows for easy system upgrades, enhancing test efficiency. Modular platforms offer the following advantages: △Reducing ADAS component development and verification times; △Reducing test system capital equipment and total cost of ownership; and △Simplifying the sensor fusion process combined with deep learning-enabled ECUs.

The radar validates simulations using NI's signal generation, processing, and analysis technologies. It also measures traceable RF and performs system simulations.

In February, NI announced a collaboration with the University of Austin on context-aware automotive engineering systems. ADAS technology and communications were tested on the University of Austin testbed, based on NI's mmWave front-end technology and second-generation vector signal transceivers (VSTs).

“The ADAS test solution can be applied not only to radar, but also to three test vehicles equipped with Lidar, cameras, DSRC radios, and NI mmWave communication prototypes,” said Vice President Jeong.