Ruetz System Solutions selects Spirent

Spirent Communications says that Ruetz System Solutions, the experts in automotive data communications, selected its latest Automotive Test System to validate the performance and reliability of in-vehicle networking.

For automotive manufacturers, the “connected car” has gained major importance. In particular, Ethernet networking in automobiles opens up a realm of opportunities while placing new requirements on component conformance and cyber security. The heterogeneous nature of automotive components and the high standards for reliability and safety are driving the need for extensive compliance, performance and security testing.

According to Wolfgang Malek, founding member of Ruetz System Solutions, “Cooperation with Spirent allows us to combine our many years of experience in automotive engineering with Spirent’s comprehensive expertise in Ethernet testing. And our clients in the automotive industry receive a service offering which accommodates the high quality and safety expectations of the sector.”

Ruetz’s test lab will include Spirent’s Automotive Test Platform with support for BroadR-Reach®, the automotive Ethernet physical layer interface standard. In addition, the company will leverage Spirent for layer 2-3 conformance and performance testing.

“Spirent is the first test system manufacturer to fully integrate the BroadR-Reach standard, which enables us to perform all necessary conformance, performance and security testing of the in-vehicle Ethernet network,” said Thomas Schulze, Business Development manager for the Automotive business unit at Spirent Communications. “This allows us to support the entire development of next-generation vehicle communication networks."

ABI Research predicts Ethernet penetration in new cars worldwide will grow from 1% in 2014 to 40% by 2020. Along with many advantages, this trend will also present electronic component and communication system interoperability issues, as well as the cybersecurity risk of utilizing IP-based components. For this reason Ruetz offers security testing along with conformance and performance testing with the new Spirent test solution.

By expanding the test lab to include systems for Automotive Ethernet, Ruetz is expanding the scope of its services for both manufacturers and suppliers. The Munich-based company works for manufacturers in Europe, Asia as well as North and South America.