- At the 39th 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) forum, held in New Delhi, India, from October 26 to 29, 2026, Valeo and Anritsu are showcasing a virtual validation solution for the connectivity of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV).
- This approach integrates a platform for simulating automotive electronic control units (ECUs) with cellular network testing tools to replicate various communication scenarios—most notably for the eCall emergency response system.
The solution is built on the integration of Valeo’s virtualized ECU simulation platform and Anritsu’s cellular testing technologies. It combines a Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) simulator with a virtual engine designed to replicate network conditions that mirror real-world environments. The system can be deployed either locally or in the cloud.
Simulating Connectivity Conditions
The objective is to test how onboard systems perform under different network configurations and vehicle states, without relying exclusively on physical, on-road testing. Simulated scenarios include network handovers between different mobile operators (inter-MNO), as well as vehicle-to-network (V2N) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications.
These simulations make it possible to replicate connectivity scenarios that are difficult to test on the road, while ensuring that tests remain repeatable. This allows developers to evaluate the behavior of onboard functions under specific, controlled conditions and to identify potential communication failures at an earlier stage in the development process.
The demonstration in New Delhi builds upon a joint presentation previously delivered by the two companies at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 this past March. It incorporates new use cases, including eCall, which allows a vehicle to trigger an emergency call.
Reducing the need for physical testing
The development of vehicles with centralized software architectures brings with it an increase in functions that rely on connectivity—such as over-the-air (OTA) software updates, connected services, and 5G or C-V2X cellular communications. Validating these functions requires covering a vast array of combinations involving networks, environments, and vehicle states.
By enabling these situations to be replicated within a controlled virtual environment, the solution from Valeo and Anritsu aims to reduce the number of on-road and test-track trials required during development. It is also designed to facilitate the repetition of tests and their execution on a larger scale—for instance, in scenarios involving multiple vehicles and networks.
The two companies state that this approach should help shorten development cycles for connected functions. However, it does not eliminate the need for physical testing to verify how systems behave under actual, real-world operating conditions.
