Analysis of the Power Coupling Between an Antenna and a Device Under Test in a MSRC to Replace On-board Immunity Tests of Automotive Equipment

Abstract

This paper discusses the possibility of correlating radiated immunity test results obtained in a mode stirred reverberation chamber (MSRC), with results obtained when testing in near field the electronic and electrical automotive equipment immunity to on-board transmitters. This correlation is investigated experimentally using a device representative of an automotive embedded system over a ground plane in both cases. The device under test (DUT) is composed of a metallic box with patch antennas on its external surface. We perform comparisons between S-parameters measured between the test antenna and the patch antennas in the near field test (NFT) and in the MSRC. The purpose of this paper is to show that, the electromagnetic couplings on a DUT when testing its immunity to on-board transmitter in the NFT, are similar to the ones obtained in the MSRC but at a lower level. This comparison of S-parameters demonstrates that measurements performed in the MSRC can be sufficient to test the immunity of electrical and electronic equipment to on-board transmitters, if the power level applied during the test is increased.