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Specialist Task Force 541:
Signal interferer handling, a new RX requirement to cover the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the RED directive

Who we are:

Team leader:
  • Dr. Friedbert Berens, FBConsulting Sarl

Friedbert.berens@me.com

Team Members:

What we do

The STF541 shall develop a generic description of the hybrid RX-requirements concept and related text and test procedures for implementation into the harmonised standard.

 The new concept is not intended as a replacement for classical receiver parameters; instead it should be considered as an alternative to be used for possible use cases of radio devices where the classical receiver parameters described in the ETSI Guide (EG 203 336, clause on Rx where alternatives are allowed) cannot be specified or tested e.g.

  • If there is no possibility to describe classical receiver parameters and parameters needed for compatibility or sharing studies (e.g. RFID tags and some SRDs)
  • Classical receiver parameters do not fulfil the requirements for describing the performance of the receiver (e.g. UWB and radio-determination)
  • Classical receiver parameters do not describe the performance of the receiver in a particular scenario (e.g. inductive case)

 For more details, see our Terms of Reference

Why we do it

Directive 2014/53/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment (The RED) was ratified by the European Parliament at Strasbourg on 16 April 2014. The previous legislation (the R&TTE Directive) was repealed with effect from 13 June 2016. The RED applies from 13 June 2016 (though manufacturers have one additional year to comply). The European Commission requested ETSI to provide harmonised standards in support of the RED in response to Standardisation Request M/536.

The scope of the RED is broader than the R&TTE Directive. In addition, its Essential Requirements were clarified, especially with respect to receivers. Therefore, ETSI needed to create new harmonised standards accordingly. This work has presented some new technical challenges in relation to some equipment categories, specifically:

  • Receive only equipment
  • Receiver parameters for equipment to support an efficient use of the spectrum
  • Radio determination equipment
  • Radio equipment below 9 kHz
  • Radio equipment/systems in which the receiver should be tested within the system (e.g inductive systems)

 

Some work has already been done to address some of these challenges:

ETSI STF 494 (06/2015 – 03/2016) developed a concept for RX-requirement and tests for UWB devices which is documented in ETSI TS 103 361 (Receiver technical requirements, parameters and measurement procedures to fulfil the requirements of the Directive 2014/53/EU). The TS contains receiver requirements and test procedures for typical use-cases of UWB applications. All standards of ERM TGUWB are referring to TS 103 361 regarding receiver requirements.

The main difference between this alternative concept and classical receiver requirements are:

  • Hybrid RX-parameters which consist of one or more receiver parameters and an intended usage scenario.

In this approach the receiver parameters are closely linked with the intended usage scenario. Therefore, it is not possible to test the receiver parameters in isolation from the intended usage scenario. This combination leads to:

  • A performance criterion of the RF system / use-case.

Some other ETSI ERM TGs are using a similar concept in the new versions of harmonised standards for the RED. e.g.

  • EN 301 091-1: Short Range Devices; Transport and Traffic Telematics (TTT); Radar equipment operating in the 76 GHz to 77 GHz range; Harmonised Standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of Directive 2014/53/EU; Part 1: Ground based vehicular radar
  • EN 301 091-2: Short Range Devices; Transport and Traffic Telematics (TTT); Radar equipment operating in the 76 GHz to 77 GHz range; Harmonised Standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of Directive 2014/53/EU; Part 2: Fixed infrastructure radar equipment
  • EN 303 417: Wireless power transmission using technologies other than radio frequency beam in the 19 - 21 kHz, 59 - 61 kHz, 79 - 90 kHz, 100 - 300 kHz, 6 765 - 6 795 kHz ranges; Harmonised Standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of Directive 2014/53/EU
  • EN 303 447: Short Range Devices (SRD); Inductive loop systems for robotic mowers in the frequency range 0 Hz to 148,5 kHz; Harmonised standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of Directive for 2014/53/EU

 

In January 2015, CEPT (ECC\ WGSE\ SE21) created a new work item (SE21_18) “to evaluate relevant receiver parameters, considering the future role of receiver parameters in spectrum management and sharing studies”. This ongoing work aims to provide some guidance on receiver requirements (planned is first an ECC Report and in a second step an ECC Recommendation) and could have a significant impact on standardisation in ETSI. The outcome of the STF 494 (TS 103 361) was presented to SE21 and raised many questions.

The main questions from SE/SE21 are:

  • Based on the alternative concept how can a minimum sensitivity of the radio system be ensured?
  • Is it possible to implement the concept into the spectrum engineering process (e. g. use in SEAMCAT or for the definition of interference scenarios)?
  • Can the concept demonstrate equipment supports an efficient use of the spectrum?

The discussion with SE21 is still ongoing and requires support from ETSI. Answering the questions from SE21 will be one of objectives of this STF.

How we do it

In a first step in the STF work the experts must identify the relevant parameters to be included into the updated harmonized standards based on the available inputs from TC ERM and the CEPT. These required parameters should be adapted to the specific need of the UWB devices and the related regulatory conditions. The results should be included in the draft version of the TR.

In a next step proposals for the measurement setups for these parameters must be specified and included in the TS. In a final step the proposed procedures will be evaluated in a measurement event in the scope of a TGUWB meeting at the end of 2018.

The STF will have one single phase and the published TR and TS should be available end of 2018.

A close monitoring of the CEPT (WGSE) activities and the further RED related discussions in TC ERM are required to guarantee the smooth definition of the parameters in line with the community.

The STF541 will arrange an open STF meeting on the 23. February 2018 at the ETSI premises to initiate the discussion with the concerned stakeholders. A registration link will be available under:

http://portal.etsi.org/webapp/MeetingCalendar/MeetingDetails.asp?m_id=33775

More details in beginning of 2018.

Deliverables

Deliv.

Work Item code

Standard number

Working title

Scope

D1

DTR/ERM-572 (TR)

Working title: Signal interferer handling

Scope:

TR will cover:

• Definition of min necessary requirements (e.g. performance criteria, interfering power, frequency range, …)

• Summarization of new/additional systems / equipment which could use the new concept

• Evaluation current RX test implemented in HEN which could fall under this new concept

• Relation between traditional RX-parameters and new concept  

D2

DTS/ERM-573 (TS)

Working title: TS on signal interferer handling

Scope:

TS will specify:

• Preparation of generic text which could be used in ETSI HEN

• Preparation of a solution/text that the manufacturer is able to provide the information to: test-houses, inside the DoC, …  

 

Time plan

DTR/ERM-572 (TR103 566) working title: Signal interferer handling

Rapporteur: Uwe Wostradowski Robert Bosch GmbH

  • Start of work    2017-10-06
  • Early draft        2018-01-13
  • Stable draft      2018-04-03
  • TB approval      2018-06-29                     
  • Publication       2018-08-10

  

DTS/ERM-573 (TS103 567) working title: TS on Signal interferer handling

Rapporteur: Friedbert Berens, FBConsulting S.a.r.l.

  • Start of work    2017-10-06
  • Early draft        2018-04-20
  • Stable draft      2018-09-21
  • TB approval      2018-10-26                     
  • Publication       2018-12-07

The timescale for the work is as follows:

How to contact us

Contact: Dr. Friedbert Berens, FBConsulting S.à r.l., friedbert.berens@me.com

This information is based upon STF working assumptions.

The views expressed do not necessarily represent the position of ETSI in this context.