The future of automotive emergency response is here – meet NG eCall, the next-generation evolution of the traditional eCall system.
While classic eCall has served drivers well by relying on 2G or 3G voice calls to relay vehicle location and crash data to emergency services, NG eCall takes a significant [MS1] leap forward by leveraging modern LTE and 5G connectivity.
With high-speed mobile networks, NG eCall enables reliable, packet based data transmission. This translates to more than just a basic emergency call. Now, emergency responders can receive real-time GPS coordinates, critical vehicle diagnostics, sensor data, and even live video feeds. The result is a faster, smarter, and more efficient emergency response system—one where every second can make a difference.
The Technology Behind NG eCall
NG eCall is still in its early stages of industry adoption. Cellular modem manufacturers are just beginning to roll out firmware support for this new standard, and major automotive OEMs are currently developing their NG eCall applications.
One of the key tools supporting this development is the NOFFZ Base Station Emulator NG eCall test solution. Although the technology still has more potential to offer, it already supports decoding the Minimum Set of Data (MSD) – a crucial data packet – containing location, identification, and crash status of the vehicle.
Putting NG eCall to the Test
In a recent demonstration using an emergency call device from a major automotive OEM, the system replicates a real-world simulation in the test lab.
Here’s how it unfolds:
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System Initialization: A dual-cell LTE configuration is created and booted. Once airplane mode is disabled on the TCU, the device successfully connects to the BSE network. Connection status can be verified using AT commands, confirming an active connection between the modem and BSE.
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Network Behavior: For the purpose of the test, all other traffic is disabled to better observe the NG eCall trigger event.
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Triggering NG eCall: As the emergency button is pressed on the TCU the NG eCall immediately initiates an eCall to 911. We can confirm the eCall status using the BSE graphical user interface or the test automation API.
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MSD Analysis: During the eCall, the parties exchange the MSD (Minimum Set of Data) in ASN format, which includes the timestamp and GPS coordinates. A custom script converts these coordinates into decimal GPS format for easier interpretation. As expected, the location matches that of the test lab.
What’s Next for NG eCall?
NG eCall is a transformative step in automotive safety technology, making emergency communication smarter and more data-rich than ever before. Looking ahead, the NOFFZ BSE NG eCall system is set to become even more robust.
Still to come:
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GUI for MSD decoding, such as plain-text vehicle type, timestamps, and coordinates
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Full automation for multi-device testing, streamlining development and validation processes
Stay tuned as we continue exploring innovations in connected vehicles and emergency response systems.
In our video, you’ll also get a clear insight into our NOFFZ BSE NG eCall test solution.