FM in 2026 – honestly, it's just not enough anymore. Audio quality is capped by analogue modulation's physical limits. Few channels. And that hissing sound when the signal is weak – enough to make your teeth ache.
DAB+ – Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus. Compared to legacy DAB, the codec has been upgraded from MPEG‑1 Layer II to HE‑AAC v2. The same bandwidth now carries more stations – and the audio quality is a notch higher.
Norway shut down its national public broadcast FM network in 2017 – completely. Local stations still exist, but the main network is clean. Switzerland, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands – all moving to DAB+. Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and several Middle Eastern countries have also adopted it.
This is the most misunderstood point in DAB+ certification – nothing else comes close. Regulatory and logo tracks are at completely different levels.
Regulatory track: RED is market access – if you're selling DAB+ receivers in the EU, you can't avoid it. EN 303 345 series is the backbone – four parts:
-1: General requirements
-2: AM receivers
-3: FM receivers
-4: DAB broadcast receivers
Don't mix them up. I've seen clients test AM against -4 – wasting two months.
There's also EN 300 401 – the base standard for the DAB system level. It's often referenced alongside 345 in RED technical files. Miss this – your TCF will be rejected.
二、Module A Self‑Declaration – Don't Get Too Comfortable
Pure receivers – receive only, no transmit, no Wi‑Fi, no Bluetooth, no cellular – can use Module A self‑declaration. Find a lab, test, sign the DoC, CE mark, ship. No NB involvement.
But.
Once your head unit integrates Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular transmission RF – and the RED 2025/138 cybersecurity provisions apply – the whole product may trigger NB assessment. You can't blindly assume self‑declaration applies.
I've had proposals fail precisely on this point.
三、WorldDAB Logo – A Commercial Licence, Not a Legal Requirement
WorldDAB is an industry association. Not a regulator.
The green DAB+ Logo they promote – it's a commercial licence. Not legally mandatory. A head unit without this logo – if it passes RED testing – is still perfectly legal to sell.
But.
OEMs demand it. Tier‑1s demand it. Consumers trust it. Retailers expect it. It's written black‑and‑white into procurement contracts. Don't do it? You don't get through.
四、WorldDAB Test Framework
Certification standard: WorldDAB Test Specification. New applications go with V4.0 – effective from 1 March 2026.
Note: only for new logo applications. Existing certificates renewing are not subject to V4.0.
Don't let agents convince you to retest existing products. That's wasted money.
V4.0 adds two new items compared to 3.x: EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) recovery test, and slide‑show reception verification.
1. Test items
Protocol conformance: audio decoding, programme information parsing, service‑switching logic – all must pass. HE‑AAC v2 decoding is the main focus – but compatibility with legacy MPEG‑1 Layer II (still running on older DAB stations) must also be tested.
RF receiver sensitivity – VHF Band III, 174–240 MHz. Different modulation schemes and bit rates – separate minimum usable field‑strength measurements.
2. EWF (Emergency Warning) – 2 seconds, not 5
EWF – Emergency Warning Functionality – the big ticket item in WorldDAB 4.0.
When the head unit receives an alert signal, it must switch to the emergency broadcast channel and interrupt current playback within 2 seconds. Hard threshold. Fail this – you're done.
·2 seconds vs. 5 seconds – don't get it wrong.
Old online materials say 5 seconds – they're wrong. Official Test Spec 4.0 clearly states 2 seconds.
Design to 5 seconds – you'll fail at the certification lab – rework software – waste time and money.
EWF is only mandatory within WorldDAB certification. RED RF compliance doesn't cover it. But: whole‑vehicle WVTA type approval – some member states may impose additional EWF requirements. It's not completely unregulated.
3. Country‑by‑country – stricter than you think
"The EU doesn't mandate DAB+." How many people have been misled by that?
At the EECC directive level, new M1/N1 light commercial vehicles must support digital terrestrial broadcasting. DAB+ is one of the compliance paths. This is not a nice‑to‑have recommendation – there is a regulatory requirement.
·Italy: receivers sold must have DAB capability.
·France: implementing rules have been revised multiple times – now moving beyond just "recommended."
UKCA – technical requirements are broadly aligned with the EU. CE reports can be used during the transition – but the transition ends at the end of 2027 – it's not permanent. UKCA also requires a UKRP (UK Responsible Person). A CE report without a UKRP – not enough.
4. Australia
Australia has fully adopted DAB+. Current mainstream harmonised standard is AS/CA S042 – not the old AS 4943. In 2026, the market is phasing out the old standard. Don't select test plans based on AS 4943.
In‑vehicle DAB+ typically follows RCM + WorldDAB – both tracks.
五、Hardware Design and Testing – Common Failure Points
Antenna matching – the king of traps.
VHF Band III has long wavelengths. In a shark‑fin antenna, packing AM/FM/DAB+ three antennas – isolation requires constant tuning. FM signal leaking into the DAB+ receive chain? That's a daily occurrence.
1. Service Following – not just FM
Two types:
·DAB‑internal: switching between multiplexers within the DAB network.
·DAB‑FM cross‑switching.
Not all head units implement bidirectional linking. Some only do DAB‑internal switching. Before testing, know exactly which layer your solution supports.
2. Sensitivity – conducted good ≠ radiated good
On the bench, conducted test – signal generator directly injected – numbers look great.
Fit it in the vehicle – switch to radiated method – coupling antenna simulating real receive environment – sensitivity drops.
Conducted passing doesn't mean radiated will pass. Run radiated pre‑testing early – don't wait until the certification lab to find out.
3. RF report reuse – not as simple as you think
CE RED and WorldDAB run in parallel – RF reports can theoretically be reused. But test limits, signal parameters, and scripts are not identical.
The lab must issue separate assessments and supplementary notes against both standards. It's not one report that satisfies both.
Ask the lab before submission if they can cover both – if not, expect additional testing costs.
4. Component modules vs. whole‑vehicle head units – not the same
In‑vehicle Tier‑1 head units, standalone radio modules, whole‑vehicle WVTA certification – three different processes.
A DAB module certificate only covers the module itself. The whole vehicle still requires end‑to‑end head‑unit testing and in‑vehicle system testing. Don't treat a module certificate as a vehicle‑level pass.
5. Global multi‑standard – how to handle
North America uses HD Radio. Japan uses ISDB‑T. Both are physically incompatible with DAB+.
To cover multiple markets, you add the corresponding modules.
However: hardware can be designed with a multi‑standard tuner supporting both DAB+ and HD Radio. Software stacks and certification paths are separate – hardware can be shared.
If you're building a global vehicle platform, define the multi‑standard strategy from day one – otherwise you'll be bleeding money on supplementary certifications later.
For DAB+ certification, contact BlueAsia at 13534225140 (King) or email king.guo@cblueasia.com.
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