Performance Evaluation of GBE and GBit AFDX Networks for Automotive Control Systems

Abstract

The Gigabit Ethernet (GBE) will play an important role in vehicle next generation architectural design. The question is "Can we use the GBE and its full duplex version (AFDX) for the powertrain and the chassis within the vehicle domains" and in general for critical real-time systems?" Many authors believe that the CAN and the FlexRay are the only networks that are mandatory for the above-cited domains, and the Ethernet, the Wi-Fi and their gigabit versions can support only the body and the In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) domains. This article try to give a response to this question by computing the end-to-end delay to demonstrate that when using GBE, Gigabit AFDX, and WiGiG networks this delay is less than the five-millisecond deadline required by the SAE benchmark for the powertrain and the chassis, as critical domains of any vehicle. The next vehicle generations will be equipped also by ADAS and V2X communications, considered as new domains. These new domains will use the full duplex Ethernet backbone, in order to eliminate gateway equipment in each network segment, reducing the latencies induced by these equipments.