Product Compliance Challenges for Radio Devices in Vehicles

Modern vehicles often incorporate dozens of radio devices, from GPS navigation to tire pressure monitors to proximity sensors. These safety and convenience features are in demand, so manufacturers will only continue to add more. However, the more radio devices you have in a small area, the greater the risk that they will interfere with one another.

These built-in devices must operate correctly together, but they must also be compatible with devices in or near the vehicle, like phones, and the radios in other, nearby vehicles. Interference between radio devices is not just annoying, it can be dangerous, especially in a moving vehicle. Some types of device interference may unintentionally amplify radio frequencies to a level that may be harmful to humans, while other types of interference may cause essential vehicle components to malfunction.

Because the regulations for radio devices in vehicles are different from the normal Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or European Commission (EC) marking requirements, designers, and manufacturers of vehicle wireless devices often struggle to understand what requirements apply to their product and how to ensure compliance.

This white paper gives an overview of common regulatory markings for vehicles and how safety and performance requirements differ for radio devices in vehicles, especially regarding electromagnetic compatibility.

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