ERM Activity Report 2018-2019
Chairman: Holger Butscheidt, Ministry of Economics and Technology, Germany
Responsible for a range of radio product and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards and the overall co-ordination of radio spectrum matters.
Compliance with The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) throughout the EU has necessitated the revision or replacement of all ETSI’s existing Harmonised Standards and the development of new ones. At the start of 2018, we had published more than 200 Harmonised Standards in support of the RED, of which more than 150 were cited in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
The EC’s creation of a new assessment procedure for our Harmonised Standards during the year also necessitated a change in ETSI’s working methods to ensure compliance with legislative requirements. In 2018, ETSI’s EMC and Radio Spectrum Matters committee (TC ERM) thus co-operated closely with the EC to optimize the efficiency of this new process, as exemplified by participation with other ESOs and DG GROW at a successful RED standardization workshop in Brussels plus other bi-lateral events.
Much of the work of the committee during the year was accordingly dedicated to defining receiver parameters: these were not mandatory under the previous Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive that the RED replaces.
Positive progress was made in creating new Harmonised Standards or making updates to existing publications. In the area of Short Range Devices (SRDs) we published new standards covering Ultra Low Power wireless medical capsule devices operating in the 430 - 440 MHz band, metal and object sensing devices operating in the 1 - 148,5 kHz band. We also amended standards relating to access to radio spectrum for SRDs operating in the 25 MHz - 1 GHz and 1 - 40 GHz ranges. Also on the topic of Short Range Devices we issued Technical Specifications on an architecture and interface protocols for Low Throughput Networks (LTN).
Updates were also made to both parts of a Harmonised Standard covering transmitter/receiver spectrum access for avalanche beacons used by the emergency services.
Within ERM our Aeronautics group focused its activities on three principal areas: the development of Harmonised Standards under the Radio Equipment Directive; the development of Community Specifications under the Single European Sky Interoperability Regulation; and the development of Data Link specifications.
Work was concluded on Harmonised Standards for ground ATM equipment, including meteorological radars, primary surveillance radars (X band), A-SMGCS Multilateration and A-SMGCS X band sensors. Two further HS neared completion, covering Primary (L and S band) and Secondary Surveillance Radars Interrogators and Far Field Monitor.
In response to Mandate M/390 and M/524 we worked on Community Specifications related to Advanced-Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) – a key element of AF2 (Airport Integration and Throughput) and of paramount importance for SESAR deployment.
We published a Technical Report on the evolution of Data Link – a key pillar in the SESAR deployment and a crucial aspect of the Single European Sky. Updates began on the Data Link Community Specification to align with latest developments including the ELSA (Enhanced Large Scale ATN deployment consortium) study.
Meanwhile our Maritime group continued to update Digital Selective Calling (DSC) product standards, with work progressing on Bridge Alert Management systems and DSC radio equipment with remote control capabilities.
We published a Harmonised Standard related to Maritime VHF for use on inland waterways, and launched work on two new HS: one covering the radio link for maritime positioning systems and another on New Technology (NT) radars for waterways.
In the area of road transportation, TC ERM develops standards for both Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) radar and anti-collision radar. In 2018 we continued to review receiver technical requirements, parameters and measurement procedures for Automotive and Surveillance Radar Equipment.
During 2018 TC ERM also published a number of new System Reference documents (SRdocs). These considered High-Definition Ground Based Synthetic Aperture Radars (HD-GBSAR) operating in 1 GHz band; smart tachograph applications in commercial vehicles, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) equipment, Low Power Wide Area Networks Chirp Spread Spectrum (LPWAN-CSS) operating in the UHF band below 1 GHz, and Wireless Access Systems/Radio Local Area Networks (WAS/RLANs) in the 5 925 - 6 725 MHz band.
In the area of digital audio, the committee revised radio spectrum access standards for Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) transmission equipment and the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) sound broadcasting service. We also addressed Digital Mobile Radio systems design.
LOOK OUT FOR IN 2019 – TC ERM WORK IN PROGRESS:
- Development and revisions to Harmonised Standards and technical specifications addressing use of radio spectrum for:
- Multiple Gigabit Wireless Systems (MGWS)
- Networked Short Range Devices (SRD)
- SRDs using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology
- Radio equipment operating below 9kHz
- Robotic mowers
- Wireless power transmission
- Wideband transmission systems
- UWB systems including Ground- and Wall- Probing Radio determination; Level Probing Radar; tracking; keyless entry systems; generic UWB communications
- Radiodetermination equipment
- Wireless Industrial Applications (WIA)
- Ultra Low Power wireless medical capsule cameras
- Metal sensors
- Security scanners
- C-ITS communications
- Transport and Traffic Telematics (TTT); Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC)
- Vehicular radar; automotive and surveillance radar equipment
- Ground Based Synthetic Aperture Radar
- Multi-Static Primary Surveillance Radar
- Primary Surveillance Radar
- Wide Area Multilateration (WAM)
- Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS)
- Data Link Services
- VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL)
- Euroloop railway systems
- Marine radar, positioning systems and survival location devices
- Maritime Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
- Inland waterways navigation radar
- Digital Terrestrial TV transmitters and receivers
- DAB and DRM transmitters
- AM/FM broadcast sound receivers
- Active antennas for broadcast reception
- Wireless microphones/audio PMSE systems
- Inductive loop systems for the hearing impaired
- Avalanche beacon equipment
- Meteorological radar
- Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) systems
- Land Mobile Service broadband radio for Public Protection and Disaster Relief
- EMC standards
- Measurement and testing