Vehicle communication module and diagnostic device and method for testing thereof
A method for testing a vehicle-to-X communication module by means of a diagnostic device as well as an associated vehicle-to-X communication module and an associated diagnostic device. During a test mode messages are exchanged between the vehicle-to-X communication module and the diagnostic device, and evaluated in order to detect errors.
1. A method for testing a vehicle-to-X communication module comprising:
placing the vehicle-to-X communication module in a test mode;
emitting a plurality of test messages from the vehicle-to-X communication module while in the test mode, test messages of the plurality of messages transmitted with differing power;
receiving the test messages with a diagnostic device;
analyzing the received test messages with the diagnostic device by:
measuring power associated with the received test messages, and
generating transmit spectral masks based on the received test messages; and
detecting errors of the vehicle-to-X communication module based on the analyzed received test messages, wherein the errors include:
power regulation error detected based on the measured power associated with the received test messages, and
radio chip error detected based on a function of the transmit spectral masks.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting an error of one of a transmitting amplifier and an antenna cable between the vehicle-to-X communication module and a vehicle antenna when a field strength of the received test messages is below a threshold.
3. A method for testing a vehicle-to-X communication module comprising:
placing the vehicle-to-X communication module in a test mode;
emitting a plurality of test messages from a diagnostic device during the test mode, test messages of the plurality of messages emitted with differing power;
receiving the test messages at the vehicle-to-X communication module;
analyzing the test messages at the vehicle-to-X communication module by:
measuring power associated with the received test messages, and
generating transmit spectral masks based on the received test messages; and
detecting errors of the vehicle-to-X communication module based on the analyzed received test messages, wherein the errors include:
power regulation error detected based on the measured power associated with the received test messages, and
radio chip error detected based on a function of the transmit spectral masks.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising detecting an error of one of a receiving amplifier and an antenna cable between the vehicle-to-X communication module and a vehicle antenna is detected, when a field strength of the received test messages is below a threshold.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test messages are emitted with a predefined frequency.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the predefined frequency is between 15 Hz and 25 Hz.
7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein errors are detected in a power regulation based on the measured powers of received test messages.
8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein transmit spectral masks are created from the received test messages and as a function thereof errors are detected in a radio chip.
9. The method according to claim 3 , wherein packet error rates, modulation, data rates and/or packet contents of the received test messages are analyzed and, as a function thereof, an error in a radio chip is detected.
10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein detected errors are emitted to one of: the diagnostic device, vehicle electronics, a display and an external device.
11. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the diagnostic device uses an antenna executed as a hood over a vehicle antenna in order to receive and/or transmit test messages.
12. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the test messages are identified by a message format deviating from standard vehicle-to-X messages.
13. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the message format is one of: a modified EtherType, a modified BTP port, and a predefined security certificate.
14. The method according to claim 3 , wherein messages which have already been received or transmitted independently of the test mode are used as test messages.
15. A vehicle-to-X communication device having a controller with instructions, the instructions comprising:
placing the vehicle-to-X communication device in a test mode;
emitting a plurality of test messages from the vehicle-to-X communication module while in the test mode;
receiving the test messages at a diagnostic device;
analyzing the received test messages with the diagnostic device by:
measuring power associated with the received test messages, and
generating transmit spectral masks based on the received test messages; and
detecting errors of the vehicle-to-X communication module based on the analyzed received test messages, wherein the errors include:
power regulation error detected based on the measured power associated with the received test messages, and
radio chip error detected based on a function of the transmit spectral masks.
16. A diagnostic device configured to execute a method having instructions, the instructions comprising:
placing the vehicle-to-X communication module in a test mode;
emitting a plurality of test messages from a diagnostic device during the test mode;
receiving the test messages by at the vehicle-to-X communication module; and
analyzing the received test messages at the vehicle-to-X communication module by:
measuring power associated with the received test messages, and
generating transmit spectral masks based on the received test messages; and
detecting errors of the vehicle-to-X communication module based on the analyzed received test messages, wherein the errors include:
power regulation error detected based on the measured power associated with the received test messages, and
radio chip error detected based on a function of the transmit spectral masks.
17. The diagnostic device according to claim 16 , wherein an error of one of a receiving amplifier and an antenna cable between the vehicle-to-X communication module and a vehicle antenna is detected, when a field strength of the received test messages is below a threshold.